Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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600. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the way the €2.3 million funding to community addiction services will be allocated. [41115/24]

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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602. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the €2.3 million funding for local and regional drug taskforces in September; if it has been allocated and drawn down; and if so, by whom. [41118/24]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 600 and 602 together.

In September 2024, Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Colm Burke announced the allocation of funding of €1.5 million to sustain existing community-based drugs services and €800,000 (per annum over four years, a total of €3.2 million) to support the recovery of people from drug dependency. www.gov.ie/en/press-release/1add4-minister-burke-announces-funding-of-23-million-to-sustain-community-based-drugs-services-and-to-support-people-in-recovery/.

€800,000 is provided to support the recovery of people from drug dependency and their integration into everyday life, with a particular focus on initiatives in areas such as employment, education, housing, and family. The funding will also support peer-based recovery support and coaching, and the development of recovery communities.

€1.5 million is being provided for existing community-based drugs services that face increased demand and/or rising costs. The funding will be available on a recurring basis from 2025. This funding acknowledges the increased demand for drug treatment. The National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS), published by the Health Research Board, shows there were 13,104 cases in 2023, which is an increase of almost 50% from 8,922 in 2017.

The funding supports the strategic priority to enhance access to and delivery of drug services in the community, under the National Drugs Strategy for 2021-2025. It also meets the Programme for Government commitment to support drug and alcohol task forces in identifying local needs in communities and in providing targeted initiatives to address drug and alcohol use. It aligns with the Programme for Government commitments to strengthen community-based care, including primary care and social care, to advance Sláintecare reforms. The funding is for existing services. The expected outcome is to improve health outcomes for people who use community-based drugs services.

The funding is allocated using a population-based resource allocation model by health region as below:

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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601. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware that community prison link workers did not receive pay increases at a rate of similar roles in the HSE or Section 39 workers. [41116/24]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Health has carried out an internal review of employee pay in the community drug and alcohol services it funds. The review was undertaken in the context of the October 2023, Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) agreement on pay for workers in Section 39 organisations.

Arising from the review, the Department has approved an increase in grants for community drug and alcohol projects.

The increased grant will benefit employees of community drug and alcohol projects, funded by this department, including community prison link workers. It will enable those projects to give retrospective pay rises, and arrears, proper to 2023 and 2024, to their employees in line with the WRC agreement.

The 2025 allocation to projects will also be increased to reflect the cumulative increase in employees pay since 2023.

While community drug services have independent management boards, and the terms and conditions of employment of staff are ultimately between the employer and the employee, it is expected that services will pass on the additional funding through wage increases to employees.

Work is currently underway in the Department to ensure the efficient and coordinated administration of the increased funding, in association with drug and alcohol task forces and channels of funding..

I welcome the approval of an increase in grant aid for community drug and alcohol projects funded directly by the Department, to enable them to implement the WRC agreement on pay increases for workers in equivalent Section 39 organisations.