Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister of State taking this matter at short notice. CityWide Drugs Crisis Campaign has highlighted in advance of budget 2023 that drug and alcohol task force community projects are places where lives are changed and lives are saved. These organisations do extraordinary work. During the past year, in one drug task force area in which I have experience, alcohol and cocaine were the most common drug problems. There was an increase in cases treated for cocaine of 83%. Alcohol treatment also increased twofold with twice the numbers supported compared to 2020 and 2021. Benzodiazepine cases increased in the same period by 150%. The task force area also experienced an increase in drug debt intimidation.

These are exceptional projects and they have not had their funding restored since the savage cuts of the recession that was triggered by the banking crisis. There has been no increase in core funding since 2013. They are serving more people in the community with less money than they had prior to 2011. In the meantime, the cost of everything has increased, especially now we are facing an absolute crisis. I acknowledge there have been strands of ad hocfunding such as strand 2 in 2019, cocaine money in 2022 and the community enhancement fund in 2022. As much as they are welcome, they are normally for new initiatives and do not contribute to the sustainability of projects and core funding.

I want to paint a picture of a current situation faced by the St. John Bosco Youth Centre, an exceptionally well-run centre. They have taken great steps with their efficiency and prudent governance decisions to maximise their funding in the service of their community. I have their permission to share their experience. Their building is 1,500 sq. m. It was built at various stages by the community of Drimnagh between the 1950s and 1970s. The centre opens seven days a week, 51 weeks a year. It is open in excess of 90 hours a week. It is used by a wide variety of groups, including youth work projects, Youth Café, Montessori, Merchant's Quay Project, Solas youth justice project, addiction support groups and the Dublin 12 drug and alcohol task force. It is also utilised by different nationality groups as well as for community events. The centre sees 600 people in its services and activities daily. The Bosco has an exemplary record of managing its finances and has shown itself to be a really resilient organisation over its 70 years. It has a record of being extremely prudent and has demonstrated through the cuts in its energy bills that it has taken steps all along to make the most out of the money it has and to be as sensible as possible in the decisions it makes. However, on 22 September the centre will run out of contract with its gas supplier. That will bring it from 2.5 cent per kWh to possibly 17 cent per kWh, a sevenfold increase in the cost. To put this as an average monthly cost, it will go from €700 a month to €4,900 on average.

The current energy crisis represents a big threat to the community and voluntary sector. I would say it poses an even bigger threat than Covid did as it does to our whole society. Just as the development of vaccines and effective public health measures were the way to minimise the threat of Covid, there is an urgent need to put in place a plan to limit the cost impact on organisations within the community and particularly for those who are struggling with drug addiction. We hear all about business supports. We hear about the cost of living interventions. I have great faith in what is going to be in the budget. We hear about lots of other measures but it is really important that no one is left out. Community organisations, especially in the space of drug prevention, treatment and support must be sheltered from the storm of the cost of living. The most vulnerable must be protected. I am asking that there is advocacy and a strong voice in this place to make sure these organisations have their core funding increased to meet the cost-of-living crisis.