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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 28 Apr 1998

Vol. 490 No. 2

Written Answers - Drug Treatment Services.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

173 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will give favourable consideration to an application for funding from Urrús, Ashley House, Swords Road, Dublin 9, which provides an invaluable service in community addiction studies training to many Dublin communities which are endeavouring to combat the drugs problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10214/98]

Pat Carey

Question:

178 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make funds available to cover the operational costs of Urrús for the years 1998 and 1999 to enable it to continue providing community addiction studies courses for members of the community and professionals in the Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9859/98]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 178 together.

The provision of funding for drug misuse related services in the Eastern Health Board area is a matter for the Eastern Health Board in the first instance. The Eastern Health Board, in line with the ministerial task force recommendations on measures to reduce the demand for drugs, in conjunction with voluntary agencies and community groups, provides education and prevention programmes and services aimed at delivering advice and harm minimisation programmes to drug misusers. The board provides direct funding to a number of organisations, including Urrús, which provide education and training modules on drug misuse, addiction and community responses. Thirty thousand pounds was granted by the health board to Urrús in 1996 and also in 1997 as 25 per cent matching support for a project funded by the EU HORIZON programme.

For 1998, Urrús has contracted with a number of local drugs task forces to provide community addiction studies programmes in local areas and funding is being provided to Urrús from the £10 million granted to the local drugs task forces to develop a response to the drug problem in priority areas where the drug problem is most acute. However, Urrús has identified that there is a shortfall in relation to its operational costs due to the conclusion of its EU funded HORIZON project this year. Discussions are ongoing with the National Drugs Strategy Team, on which the Eastern Health Board is represented, regarding the provision of further funding to cover the operational costs of the Urrús centre.
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