Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important matter for debate. I wish the new Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, well in his work, which is so important for many individuals, families and communities throughout the country. I have worked with the Minister of State on the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and on the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly over the years. We both saw at first hand the value and importance of going out and meeting with groups and communities and hearing at first hand the issues of concern to people.

I say that in the context of the value that I believe the Minister of State will derive from going out and meeting with groups delivering services to people suffering through substance abuse. It is important that the work of the Minister of State is informed of the core issues through the departmental briefing and also through the work of the service providers. As I have done in previous Dáil debates, I wish to highlight the particular challenges facing the Cavan Drug Awareness, CDA, Trust, which provides drug and alcohol rehabilitation services in Cavan and Monaghan.

It has received financial support over the years from the North Eastern Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force. The current funding model is fundamentally flawed in that it is static for existing projects. For more than eight years, the funding provided to the CDA Trust has been static. This is a reduction in funding in the face of costs increasing constantly. Some additional funds were made available for new initiatives, but the projects that already operate must do so on a continually diminishing budget and this is not sustainable.

The CDA Trust project in Cavan and Monaghan has had to raise additional funding to remain operational. This is not sustainable, particularly with the difficulties in fundraising now. As a society, we cannot afford to lose such important services. I am very familiar with the work of the CDA Trust and I have visited the centre on many occasions. I know and appreciate the commitment and dedication of the manager, Tim Murphy, and his staff colleagues, as well as the commitment of Padraig McBreen, the chairman of the board, and all his voluntary committee colleagues.

I know many people who have benefited from the services provided by the centre. Unfortunately, many others need that support now and the suffering caused by drugs will not end tomorrow or the next day, sadly. Those community service providers need increased financial support and a new funding model. In society, there are more and more addiction problems and in many areas the only support service providers are community-led groups. We need to build on the expertise of these providers and meet the growing demand for such services. Without increased funding for such projects, they will fail and that will mean a huge loss to many communities.

The task forces are becoming increasingly sidelined. The local partnership model has been eroded and the community and voluntary response to drug and alcohol issues is becoming increasingly HSE-led. I believe this is a negative development. We all know the HSE has more than enough challenges. Why should we not utilise to the greatest extent possible the partnership and voluntary approach, which was the model that was put in place? I appeal to the Minister of State that in reviewing the whole area of the provision of services to help with addiction problems that he will put the task force at the centre of the decision-making process and bring those task forces back to the role originally envisaged back in the mid-1990s. I again wish the Minister of State well in his work

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