Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister of State.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I raise the concerning removal of funding for the Red Door Project's probation service work in Drogheda. The decision risks dismantling a proven model of restorative justice and community rehabilitation.

Since 2018, the Red Door Project has been a core partner in the drugs court initiative, working directly with some of the highest risk and most vulnerable individuals in the community. Over the last seven years, the project's staff have built strong, trusted relationships with participants, probation officers and the courts. These relationships are not easily replicated and provide vital stability and support for those attempting to reintegrate. I have worked with the Red Door Project over the years. It provides a fantastic drop-in space, where staff maintain eyes on those at highest risk. It provides education and community employment placements, daily integration supports and consistent engagements for clients attending the drugs court.It has a long-standing proven record with the Probation Service, the courts and other community agencies. This work is not easy; it is complex, trust based and locally embedded. The project's strength lies in its deep knowledge of Drogheda, its people and its challenges, knowledge which has taken years to build. It has become a crucial source of community intelligence and a stabilising presence for individuals who might otherwise fall between the cracks.

The decision to remove this funding and reallocate it to a Dublin-based organisation - one that, however capable, has no local roots - poses a real risk. It undermines continuity of care, removes local expertise and destabilises those who rely on this service to meet court obligations and rebuild their lives. Furthermore, this decision directly contradicts the spirit and intent of the Drogheda implementation board which was established by the Department of Justice following the escalation of the Drogheda drugs feud a few years ago. That board's final report earlier this year highlighted the need for local relationship-based supports, integrated multi-agency work, integration and sustained community involvement, essential to reducing relapsing and to strengthen resilience in the Drogheda and north-east area. To remove funding from that project, which embodies exactly those principles, flies in the face of that evidence and the Department's stated objectives.

The Red Door Project is not just another service provider. It is an incredible local service which is part of the fabric of Drogheda's recovery. Its understanding of the local dynamics, the legacy of the feud and the risks facing its clients a second to none. Its partnership with the Probation Service has delivered real results and safer communities, supported rehabilitation, and restored lives, which is the ultimate goal. I am asking that this decision be urgently reviewed and that the funding for this probation partnership be restored to the Red Door Project. The loss of the collaboration would undo years of progress. It has already lost the funding from 31 October, so this is not fear and scaremongering. It is already seeing damage to the trust that is so central to successful community justice. Just to be clear, it is not funding from the Probation Service but from the justice Department as part of the implementation board, which was hard fought for and hard won, and the results are showing.

Drogheda deserves continuity, respect for local expertise and meaningful investment in the services which have proven their worth on the ground. I am hopeful of getting a positive response today in order that it can be reviewed immediately and that funding can be reinstated to the Red Door Project in order that it can continue its valuable work.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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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.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I am very disheartened and disappointed by that response. I had real faith that it might be looked at again. This is a unique situation. The Red Door Project works on the ground. The implementation board put in these recommendations and it is disheartening to see it almost being taken away now. I am not taking away from the good work of the Ana Liffey Drug Project, but its people are not on the ground. It is true that it was put in as a temporary measure in Drogheda but it has proven itself by its results and the work it is doing. Continuity is key with this kind of work. I accept that staff from outside can be placed in County Louth to try to complete the work being done, but the trust may not be there. We are only now reaping the benefits from the lessening of the drugs feud over the past couple of years. Things have been picking up and to take that away now will have a hugely detrimental effect. It is terrible message to send to the people of the north east, to those who are very vulnerable. I still urge that there be some rearrangement made here.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Again, I praise the great work done by the Red Door Project, other agencies and all stakeholders to put Drogheda in a much better place after the horrific events of a number of years ago. I assure the Senator that the Government is committed to building stronger safer communities and is deeply aware of the impact that drugs and drug-related crime can have on communities.

The Government's approach to the misuse of drugs is set out in Ireland's national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery. It is a health-led approach to drug and alcohol use in Ireland. It represents a whole-of-government approach to reduce demand and associated harms. I appreciate the great work the Red Door Project and the Ana Liffey Drug Project have done. The work of community-based organisations is vital to achieving these aims. The Minister thanks the Red Door Project for its important work in the area to date. I will bring the Senator's concerns back to the Minister. She talked about a local initiative and I think all the stakeholders can work together to achieve what is best for the people in Drogheda. I will take her message back to the Minister.

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
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Before we move on to the next matter, I welcome our lovely guests, the fourth, fifth and sixth class pupils from Ballyvolane National School, Rusheen National School and Ballinagree National School, who are in the Gallery. It is lovely to see them. It is a long-standing tradition in the Seanad that they will have no homework tonight. I hope they enjoy that.