Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests. Ms Hill touched on the issue of funding at the very start of the meeting.

People will probably say we keep beating that drum, but the facts are the facts. The savage cuts the services faced from 2008 to 2010 have never been reversed. One of the Government Senators said earlier there was €6 million in the budget towards drugs and alcohol services. We reckon it is €4.2 million. In the budget submission we in Sinn Féin made, the figure was €47 million, with €18 million specifically for the community sector. Following meetings I have had with numerous task forces, community groups and service providers, it is clear we have to put the funding on the ground, at the grassroots where the people are. If we are to make changes and tackle addiction, drugs and alcohol and support communities, we have to support the people on the ground. The announcement in this year's budget was a disgrace given the problems that exist in addiction services and the need to support those in recovery.