John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to clarify the answer. Deputy Byrne quoted from budget day when I said, "my emphasis is to maintain frontline services". It is true that funding for the drugs subhead in the Department has been cut by 5%, but the drugs taskforces, which deliver the community-based projects the Deputy mentioned, will receive precisely the same amount of money in 2009 as they did in 2008 despite the 5% cut.

Deputy Byrne may argue this does not allow for the expansion of services, and I will concede that, but my hope is that those running the drugs taskforces and engaging with them will be able to deliver the same outcomes next year as they did this year for the same amount of money. I do not believe it should be impossible for any organisation to find internal savings; it is no different from my own Department. The reality is that the internal savings they are asked to make is based on receiving the same allocation in 2009 as in 2008. The challenge for local or regional taskforces is to ensure they can deliver the same level of service.

They are not facing a 5% cut. The budget for the drugs issue is cut by 5%, but the taskforces which fund community-based projects Deputy Byrne mentioned will have no cut next year. They are receiving precisely the same figure as 2008. It does not allow for expansion but it focuses our efforts on delivering what the Deputy has asked for, which is frontline services. There is no cut there and that needs to be re-emphasised.

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