Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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258. To ask the Minister for Health when additional financial resources will be allocated to the regional drugs task forces, such as the north east regional task force in view of the increasing demand for such services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45661/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The funding allocated to Drug and Alcohol Task Forces at the beginning of 2021 is set out in the attached table and remains unchanged from 2020.

€1 million was provided in additional funding in Budget 2021 for drug and alcohol task forces. It is intended that this funding will provide for the development of targeted drug and alcohol initiatives through the network of drug and alcohol task forces in 2021.

The North East Drug and Alcohol Task Force is the structure for coordinating drug and alcohol services Louth, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan and brings together statutory, voluntary and community organisations, including service users. Following publication of the scoping report on community safety and wellbeing in Drogheda, I committed to providing €80,000 to improve the availability of drug and alcohol services in the North East region.

The priorities identified in the midterm review of the national drugs strategy, will inform the allocation of this funding. It is envisaged that a scheme for the disbursement of this funding will be developed in Quarter 4.

I am very supportive of the work of the Task Force and I look forward to receiving their proposal for identifying and responding to local needs in due course.