Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
122. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the details of the funding including possible future funding that his Department will provide to regional drug taskforces and the HSE in County Louth to support family and addiction services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50846/21]
View answerIn 2021, the North East Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force (NERDAFT) received funding of €937,813 to provide drug and alcohol services.
Following the publication of the Department of Justice scoping report on community safety and wellbeing in Drogheda in March 2021, I announced additional funding of €150,000 to support family support services and to improve access to community-based drug and alcohol services across the north east region.
This consists of €70,000 to support family support services, which was provided for in Budget 2021. This funding has been released to the HSE and will shortly be allocated to support local services.
Separately, there is an allocation of €80,000 to improve access and provision of community-based drug and alcohol services. This part of an overall allocation of €1 million in Budget 2021 to support community-based drug and alcohol services. The Department of Health will shortly be announcing details of this funding programme. The funding will be allocated by community healthcare organisations in conjunction with drug and alcohol task forces based on a population needs assessment.
Additional funding for drug and alcohol services is provided in Budget 2022. A factsheet on the new funding provided for in Budget 2022 which can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/001fc-budget-2022-factsheet/ . Further details on this funding will be set out in the HSE national service plan 2022.
I am committed to improving the availability of family support services and community-based drug and alcohol services in Drogheda and the North East region of Louth, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan. I encourage service providers to engage with the task force and the HSE in determining how best to allocate these additional resources to enhance services for the people affected by drug use issues in the region.
