Mr. Jim Walsh:

The Deputy has identified a huge inequity in the allocation of the existing funding of €28 million for task forces. It is not fairly distributed. That is why we have adopted a different model for the new €2 million service enhancement fund. We are calling it a population-based resource allocation model. It will allocate resources in a more equitable way to CHOs. Then the CHOs will identify where the population need is. We are not ring-fencing moneys for this area or that area. We are saying that they should find out where the need is and then allocate the resources using that approach. It will take some time to see the full benefit of the resource allocation model. However, it will address the issue that Deputy Lahart has raised about Tallaght, where there has been a population growth and a growth in drug use. More resources need to be directed there. However, the new resource allocation model is a significant step towards favouring areas where there are emerging issues.