Drug-related intimidation was a hot topic at this month's Community Safety Partnership meeting in Waterford.
Members have been told that a national co-ordinator has been recruited for a Drug-Related Intimidation and Violence Engagement programme nationally.
It has also been confirmed that a South Eastern liaison officer will soon be appointed.
The new data-driven initiative will assist Waterford to respond more effectively to drug-related intimidation.
Lisa Robson from the HSE says the recruitment process is still ongoing.
"We're hoping in the South East to have one liaison officer or staff member. We haven't decided yet whether we're going to look for funding to employ somebody or whether we're going to look within the task force to use somebody already there," she explained.
"In the interim, we'll nominate somebody until that decision has been made."
Meanwhile, the meeting also heard that drug related intimidation takes many forms.
That's according to Sean Aylward, Chair of Waterford Community Safety Partnership.
Speaking at the recent meeting in City Hall, Sean says intimidation takes various forms and can lead women into prostitution.
"It can be harassing a family to redeem the so called drug debts of some family member, terrorising a family, threats to burn them out, threats to injure them or the drug dependent person. It can involve intimidation of women to get into prostitution to pay off a drug debt. It's very insidious."
