Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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791. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of funding allocated in 2020 and planned for 2021 to support services for the treatment of addictions, including alcohol addiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42126/20]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The national drug strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, is the Government roadmap for a health-led response to drug and alcohol use.

Expenditure on HSE addiction services increased from €94 million in 2016 to over €100 million in 2019. This funding is used by the HSE to deliver a wide range of national policy objectives as outlined in the National Drugs Strategy including a focus on early intervention; treatment; and rehabilitation. This in turn helps people with substance misuse issue to achieve better health outcomes.

Additional funding of €3m was provided for addiction services in 2020.  This funding supports the implementation of the Health Diversion Programme, to expand addiction services for pregnant and post-natal women, and to develop a community alcohol service in Galway and a residential treatment service for women and children in the mid-west region.

I announced new funding of €4.1m for the following drug and alcohol services in Budget 2021:

- €1m to develop targeted drug and alcohol initiatives through the network of drug and alcohol task forces, and to increase core funding for existing services;

- €2m to increase residential treatment services for people with severe drug and alcohol dependency across the country, including a step-up stabilisation facility in CHOs Cork/Kerry, Mid-West and South East and a low threshold programme in Dublin North East Inner City;

- €700,000 to expand community and family support services, including initiatives in Donegal/Leitrim/Sligo, Louth/Meath, Cork/Kerry, and Dublin North Inner City; and

- €400,000 for harm reduction initiatives, including pilot drug monitoring at festivals and the night-time economy, expanded access to the drugs and alcohol helpline, and increased provision of naloxone.

A further €4.2 million will be provided in 2021 for the continued treatment of an additional 700 clients on opioid substitution treatment (OST), who were given access to OST in 2020 under the Covid-19 contingency plan for people who use drugs.

I believe that Budget 2021 is a significant step forward in delivering on the commitment in the Programme for Government to expand the availability of addiction services, including alcohol addiction.