Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not know where to start in response. First, the staff who work in accident and emergency departments see people presenting with alcohol-related issues. Sometimes these people are completely and utterly out of it and present with physical injuries or mental health issues. What is to happen to them at that point? In both Beaumont Hospital and the Mater Hospital, there is a system of referral on to these community-based programmes. If people are not referred onto such programmes, they will finish whatever treatment they are receiving in hospital - whether it is being on a drip for a few hours or having their injuries patched up - and be discharged. They will continue in their addiction unless an intervention is made at that point. At the moment, such an intervention is happening in Beaumont Hospital, which links patients in with the community-based programme in Ballymun and the community group in Ballymun is doing all of the things that the Minister has just spoken about.

I suggest he HSE could fund that group if the budget for its addiction services had not been cut by €2.5 million. The group is relying on donations and has a fund of €27,500. For that sum, it is employing fully accredited and fully qualified therapists to provide a service. Can the Minister tell me what will happen to the programme's 74 clients and their families who are availing of this service now? These people are in recovery and are doing well. If they continue in recovery, they will not cost the State any more money but if they do not continue with the recovery programme they are in, there is a real danger of them relapsing and we all know of the potential effect of this.

I previously chaired the north inner city drugs task force and am a member of that task force again. I understand the pressure on the drugs task forces as a result of alcohol being included in their remit now. What can they be expected to do with €41,600 each per year ? Even the sum of €1.1 million for a specific substance misuse measure is wholly inadequate. I am speaking here about a project that has been working well, getting people into recovery and supporting them in that recovery on what is by no means a massive amount of money. Again, I ask the Minister, what will happen to the people who are in recovery, to their families and their communities, because of a lack of funding?

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