Dáil debates

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

Topical Issue Debate

Addiction Treatment Services

6:30 pm

Photo of Catherine ByrneCatherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will refer back to the structure of the new strategy on reducing harm, support and recovery. I am very much dedicated to helping people through the strategy of bringing people into services, particularly with regard to recovery and counselling. It is not in my remit to allocate money to certain individual groups. The allocation of money through the strategy on reducing harm, support and recovery is through the local task forces. It is up to the service to make a case to the local drugs task force if it is short of money in order to be able to be included in the budget.

I have listened to all of the drugs task forces throughout the country stating they have been starved of money since 2008. We are in a new process here. We did not have the money but now we are starting to see a better avenue of funding coming down the line. This is what I want to concentrate on and bring in as many groups as possible. This is not the first time a Deputy has stopped me or asked me to look for funding for other groups. It is happening every day. I get emails from individual groups who do not get any money from the HSE or the task force. I am not in a position to give a commitment to any project on its own to fund it. The only way I can do it is through the task forces. We will be looking at funding the task forces through the budget on an evidence basis. I am reviewing the task forces at present with regard to their structures and this takes time. I hope that as we enter the next budget there will be the possibility of more funding being available to go to the task forces, but on an evidence basis. It will be up to the projects to apply.

I cannot stand here and tell the Deputy this project will get money this year. I cannot say it because it would be unfair to all of the other Deputies and people who write to me on a daily basis looking for money. All of the money for the drugs initiatives is centred through the task forces. That is why they were put there. I will continue to keep it at the top of the agenda. As I said, I hope that with the budget coming up we will be able to make cases for these groups and projects, because that is what I want. I want the task forces to be able to facilitate groups such as that which the Deputy has been speaking about to help them with extra funding in order that they can continue to work with those people who are most vulnerable in our communities. At present I am not able to stand up here and commit to give a certain budget to this project.

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