Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)

I appreciate the concerns of the Deputies and have spoken to them individually with regard to these projects. I realise the work being done in the areas concerned. My Department had responsibility for the funding of the five mainstreamed drugs projects. Unfortunately, as part of the Government's comprehensive review of expenditure and the 2012 Estimates process, difficult decisions had to be taken in prioritising funding for core services in all programme areas. The funding Estimate to support my Department's mainstreamed drugs projects under the housing programme in 2012 is €100,000, compared with €400,000 in 2011, which is a reduction of 75%. That is the figure I am faced with and because of this significant reduction in the sub-head, it is not possible for my Department to continue funding the projects.

Once the 2012 funding position became clear, my Department contacted both Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council, which administer the funding on behalf of my Department, in respect of the mainstreamed drugs projects. My Department requested the councils to notify the projects of the funding position immediately, given that the projects and the relevant local drugs task forces were in the process of determining budgetary matters for 2012, and to ensure that informed decisions could be made in that regard.

A consultation process is under way between the projects in question, Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council, the relevant local drugs task forces, the Department of Health and the HSE with a view to identifying alternative funding mechanisms for the projects for 2012 and beyond. Accordingly, while this consultation process is under way, my Department has agreed to provide pro rata funding of €47,500 and €52,500 to Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council, respectively, in respect of the mainstreamed drugs projects for the first quarter of 2012. This represents the final housing budget contribution to the projects and it will be a matter for all the public funding bodies, as part of the consultation process, to identify resources to deliver on the overall objectives of the reconfigured projects beyond end March 2012. For example, the mainstreamed drugs funding provided by my Department to the STAR project in 2011 of €129,200 represents only 8% of the project's overall projected expenditure of €1.59 million in 2011. Similarly, my Department has recently met representatives from South Dublin County Council with regard to broader public funding for the projects and asked them to consider the potential for the estate management projects to be reconfigured in line with the council's housing management role.

More broadly, and in the context of the public funding provision of €260 million for drugs programmes across all Departments and agencies in 2011, my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, who has responsibility for the national drugs strategy, is currently undertaking a review of the structures that underpin the strategy at local, regional and national level. This will take in how the current funding structures can be improved or streamlined, particularly with local and regional drugs task forces.

I know this sounds stark but I have listened to the strong cases being made by the Deputies. There is a period to the end of March where funding is in place and there is ongoing consultation. I will examine the issue again in light of the cases that have been made.

See this speech in context