Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 October 2013
226. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Dublin 12 Local Drug Task Force cannot sustain any further cuts to its budgets in view of the devastating impact the previous cuts have had on local services, equating to 25% since 2008, €350,608 and that future cuts will jeopardise the remaining projects. [44061/13]
View answer227. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health in view of the fact that the Dublin 12 Local Drug Task Force, similar to other Drugs Task Forces have been given the remit for alcohol in addition to drugs, the additional funding that has been given to carry out that task; and if the Health Service Executive diverted its previous spend on alcohol related projects to the taskforces to allow them carry out their new remit. [44062/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together.
The Deputy will be aware that I announced a series of measures arising from a review of Drugs Task Forces last December. These measures provide for the extension of the remit of the Task Forces to include alcohol addiction. However, as measures to address the abuse of alcohol remain under consideration by Government, I am not yet in a position to provide clear timescales for the implementation of these measures.
No decisions have been taken yet in relation to the allocations to Drugs Task Forces for 2014. The matter is currently under consideration. It is anticipated that Drugs Task Forces will be informed of their allocations later in the year.
