Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

It was great to see the Senators in the Dáil yesterday for the visit of President Zelenskyy. It was nice to see the Acting Chairperson, Senator Nicole Ryan, name-checked by the political commentator Gavan Reilly.

The Minister thanks the Senator for raising this important matter for discussion. As we are all aware, the Red Door Project is a community-based organisation in Drogheda, County Louth, providing assistance and support to those individuals, families and the wider community affected by drug use. As the Senator said, it is not just another service. I am very aware of the Red Door Project and all the great work it does. When I was Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy and health and well-being, I met people from the Red Door Project on numerous occasions. I am very much aware of the great work they do. I was very anxious to support them in every way. The project has great governance and does great work on the ground, which is something I am very aware of.

The Probation Service has never directly funded any services provided by the Red Door Project. The Red Door Project received funding for specific posts under the Drogheda report implementation plan, published by the Department of Justice in 2021. The Drogheda implementation board was established in 2021 to oversee the implementation of the report, Drogheda: Building a Bridge to a Better Future, and is an example of how the Government is prioritising building stronger, safer communities. The Drogheda implementation board's term came to an end in December 2024.

Several actions from the implementation plan related specifically to the Red Door Project and the delivery of services to the community through that project. Among other interventions delivered by a variety of agencies, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration resourced a drug court liaison worker and administrative supports from October 2021 to October 2025 through the Red Door Project on a temporary basis.

The Probation Service launched an expression of interest, EOI, process earlier this year to provide support and interventions to Probation Service clients assigned by the County Louth Probation Service team and to expand its services in the area. The closing date for receipt of applications was 17 October 2025. The EOI process stipulated a number of specific requirements from the successful organisation, including to: work with the Louth Probation Service team to deliver services within the drug treatment court model and the joint agency response to crime model; be available for priority individual referral from the County Louth probation team; and have a restorative justice focus and ethos throughout its service.

Several applications were received from community-based organisations, including the Red Door Project. The process has now concluded and a preferred service provider has been selected by the Probation Service.

The Ana Liffey Drug Project was chosen as part of this process, due to its extensive experience in this field of work. It is the intention that the Ana Liffey Drug Project, which has previous experience working in the region, will have a number of staff based on site in County Louth delivering services locally.