Written answers
Tuesday, 25 October 2016
Department of Health
Drug and Alcohol Task Forces
Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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437. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of funding given to the mid-west regional drug and alcohol forum, formerly known as drugs taskforce, per annum from 2008 to 2016; the amount budgeted for 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31776/16]
Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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In line with the National Drugs Strategy, the Government is committed to continuing support for initiatives to tackle the drug problem. The Mid West Drugs and Alcohol Task Force/Forum is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Strategy in Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary and Limerick City.
The table below shows the funding for the Drug and Alcohol Forum from 2009 to 2016. It should be noted that from 2009 to 2013 the Mid West Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force/Forum was funded by my Department under the Drugs Initiative Fund. The reduction in the budget allocated from the Drugs Initiative Fund in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 reflects the fact that my Department transferred funding of approximately €1.26 million in respect of a number of projects in the Mid West Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force/Forum to the HSE in 2014. The HSE maintained this allocation in 2015 and 2016.
Mid West
| Allocation | Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
| DoH Allocation | 1,548,888 | 1,576,095 | 1,533,540 | 1,496,428 | 1,451,535 | 147,982 | 147,982 | 147,982 |
| HSE Allocation | 1,260,007 | 1,260,007 | 1,260,007 | |||||
| Total | 1,548,888 | 1,576,095 | 1,533,540 | 1,496,428 | 1,451,535 | 1,407,989 | 1,407,989 | 1,407,989 |
The Department of Health will shortly be writing to Task Forces to invite them to submit their recommendations for funding of drugs initiatives in 2017. It is a matter for Task Forces to ensure that their budget is effectively deployed to address current priorities and locally identified needs.
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