Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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1513. To ask the Minister for Health if his officials have submitted their report regarding the north inner city drug and alcohol task force to him; and when he intends to publish it. [1574/23]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As previously advised, the Department of Health is committed to addressing the drug and alcohol issues affecting the north inner city in conjunction with community-based service providers and has provided significant additional resources for drug and alcohol services in the area and wider north Dublin region.

The Department is continuing to work with stakeholders in the north inner city to establish effective, inclusive, and transparent governance of the task force and of the funding that it allocates.

The Department has concluded a consultation process with members of the task force and other stakeholders on the next steps to establish effective, inclusive and transparent governance of the task force in the north inner city . This involved a series of meetings with public representatives, statutory and non-statutory members of the task force, frontline community and alcohol projects funded under the ambit of the task force, community and service user representatives, staff employed by the task force company and other stakeholders in the North East Inner City.

I am committed to establishing effective, inclusive and transparent governance of the task force in the north inner city and I look forward to considering the report on the next steps to achieve this goal.