Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 790: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the budget cuts for an organisation (details supplied); his views on the work carried out by this organisation in dealing with and treating addiction; if he will support this and other similar organisations into the future, ensuring that they receive adequate funding to operate from day to day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12218/09]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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In 2008, the budget for community-based initiatives in the Local and Regional Drugs Task Force areas was nearly €34.8m. Funding for 2009 will be approx €34.6m, which, in overall terms, is a minor reduction.

However, against the background of current financial difficulties all Drugs Task Forces have been asked to identify savings across their areas of responsibility. While I appreciate that this involves some difficult choices, it is a matter for the Drugs Task Forces to identify measures to enable them to work within their allocated budgets.

The South East Regional Drugs Task has decided on a provisional 2009 annual allocation of €155,751 for the project referred to by the Deputy.

Projects have been approved funding for the first six months of 2009 and this expenditure will be reviewed before allocating the remaining six months' funding. We will continue to work with the Task Forces so that funding is targeted in the most appropriate manner in 2009.