Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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234. To ask the Minister for Health the total amount of money allocated to the 24 local and regional drugs and alcohol taskforces in each year for the period 2000 –2025; and a breakdown of the annual funding allocated to each of the drugs and alcohol taskforces over the same period. [68179/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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235. To ask the Minister for Health the total amount of money allocated to drug and alcohol services in each year 2000–2025; and for detailed information on the allocation of that funding by area/location. [68180/25]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 235 together.

Drug and Alcohol Task Forces play a key role in assessing the extent and nature of the drug problem in their areas and in coordinating action at local level, so that there is a targeted response to the problem of substance misuse in local communities.

Drug and Alcohol Task Forces receive annual funding from the Department of Health and the HSE.

The Department of Health provides in the region of €4.6m in funding annually to approximately 61 projects under the remit of drug task forces under the Drugs Initiative budget. Additional core funding of €320,000 was allocated in 2024 in the context of the October 2023 Workplace Relations Commission pay agreement. This funding will also be provided in 2026.

The HSE provides a further €22m for the provision of community-based drug services in task force areas.

The latest available consolidated table of funding relates to 2011 - 2023 and is attached.

This table relates to core funding and does not include new development funding such as strategic health initiatives, Community Services Enhancement Fund, Inflation Fund, Existing Level of Service Funding and recovery funding.

I recently announced an additional €1.89 million in recurring funding to further enhance community-based drug services though the Community Services Enhancement Fund. The additional funding will support drug services (including task forces) to meet increased treatment demand, with a focus on improving access to services in underserved communities, promoting evidence-based innovations in service design and delivery, and meeting the needs of people who use stimulant drugs: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/minister-murnane-oconnor-announces-189-million-funding-for-community-based-drugs-services/.

Budget 2026

I recently announced an additional €11 million in recurring funding for drugs and inclusion health services in Budget 2026. Highlights include €0.75m to improve access to Buprenorphine in OAT services, €0.2m to enhance strategic workforce planning for drug services, €0.33m to increase treatment capacity for under-served populations and €0.1m for other drug initiatives.

Further information on the budget announcement is available at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/press-release-minister-for-public-health-wellbeing-and-the-national-drugs-strategy-announces-funding-for-drugs-and-inclusion-health-for-2026/.

The additional funding I have secured for 2026 will address disparities in the availability of and access to drugs and inclusion health services across the six HSE health regions. The new measures will drive health equity for groups at risk of poverty and social exclusion and enhance the health and wellbeing of all people.

We are paving the way for the implementation of our new national drugs strategy, expanding capacity in services all across the country and rolling out successful pilot initiatives to new areas.