Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Health the steps he has taken to ensure the maintenance of the Coolmine Therapeutic Community Centre's mother and child rehabilitation service which is in need of funding, so much so, that they cannot fund a nurse or child specialist for their Dublin West facility. [49461/12]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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Coolmine Therapeutic Community receives funding from my Department and the HSE to provide a range of services, including a specific residential programme targeting women, many of whom are mothers. Reflecting the Government's ongoing commitment to the National Drugs Strategy, I have approved an additional €100,000 in funding to enable the facility to provide a creche service. This will allow mothers to keep their children with them during residential treatment and remove potential barriers for women who wish to access this service.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that for every €1 spent on drug rehabilitation programmes, €3 is saved from the prison budget; his views on the collaboration programmes and shared budget streams between his Department and the Department of Justice. [49462/12]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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I am not aware of the basis for the statement referred to by the Deputy. The development of integrated treatment and rehabilitation services for problem substance users is a key focus of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016. Indeed, over half of the €250m approximately that is allocated by Departments and agencies to drugs programmes is expended under the Treatment and Rehabilitation Pillar of the Strategy. My Department and the Department of Justice & Equality, together with the Health Service Executive, the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service and An Garda Síochána, work very closely to implement the National Drugs Strategy. The Irish Prison Service are now major providers of drug treatment services and there is an increasing focus on working to ensure a smooth transition to community services for individuals when they leave prison.

In addition, there is close collaboration between the health, justice, community and voluntary sectors across a number of initiatives that target young people who come to the attention of the criminal justice system due to drug-related offences. Such initiatives include youth diversion programmes, drugs intervention programmes for young offenders and the Drug Treatment Court.