John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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876. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE consulted with drug task forces regarding the provision of €710,000 funding for priority projects and services in CHO areas to address drug and alcohol misuse; the projects and funding being supported under this initiative; if these projects will be supported beyond this initial funding period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36521/18]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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In June 2018, I announced funding of €1 million for the enhancement of addiction services. The funding will be allocated in two parts:

- €290,00 via local and regional drug and alcohol task forces.

- €710,000 via the Health Service Executive, in consultation with local and regional drug and alcohol task forces.

The allocation of €710,000, referred to by the Deputy, will be used to enhance and expand the delivery of addiction treatment services, with a strategic focus on young people, dual diagnosis, service user involvement, and older people.

The funding will be administered by the nine community healthcare organisations (CHO) in the HSE. The addiction service manager in the CHO will agree on a list of priority projects and services for additional once-off funding following collective consultation with the task forces on their recommendations for funding in the area. Every CHO will be allocated in the region of €79,000 under this funding initiative.

The timeframe for allocating and spending these additional resources is quite limited. The proposals must be agreed in September, the funding allocated in October and the resources spent by the end of 2018. The critical issue is to ensure that all the resources provided in Budget 2018 are used to enhance drug addiction services.

I understand that the consultation process is currently underway. The list of projects funded under this allocation will be announced in due course.

Funding for these projects beyond 2018 will be considered in the context of the 2019 Estimates and Budget.