Senator Marie Sherlock: I thank Minister of State for coming into the House today. My question relates to the funding for the north inner city drug and alcohol task force. This is an issue Deputy Feighan and I have spoken about previously. There has been what I consider to be a new development with regard to the task force in that a meeting took place last week between the HSE and the directors of the task force. At that meeting it was communicated that no operational funding was being allocated to the task force in 2022.

Will the Minister of State confirm whether this is a direction from his office in the Department of Health? If it is, then we can say it is an attempt effectively to dismantle the north inner city drug and alcohol task force, with all the implications that would have in turning its back on 25 years of Government policy and commitment to task forces. There is a question as to whether the north inner city has been singled out or indeed whether this conversation has been had with the 23 other task forces throughout the country. I am looking for answers to those questions today.

I understand concerns were articulated at the Joint Committee on Health yesterday and there was a suggestion the HSE is awaiting a plan of some sort from the task force. Again, we need to hear detail from the Minister of State as to what plan is being envisaged. I understand the service level agreement, SLA, negotiations typically take place in January or February each year, but from what I understand from the participants of that meeting that took place last week, there was no suggestion of a plan to be put together by the task force that the Department or the HSE is waiting upon.

We need to hear if there is a commitment to the future of the drug and alcohol task forces in this country that have served communities afflicted by drug and alcohol addiction well.

Of course, there are always grounds for improvement but if this is a change in Government policy, we need to hear about it. I welcome that a citizens' assembly on drugs is to take place this year but we cannot have a situation where we will see the dismantlement of some task forces and new structures set up in 12, 24 or 36 months' time. The communities cannot wait for that, particularly because of the extent of the problem within the north inner city, or, indeed, other communities, if other task forces are being affected or have had this conversation as well.

The Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, and I have had a conversation about our concerns and our desire to see the inner-city task force get on with its job. We are well aware that there is a stand-off between the Department of Health and the task force with regards the appointment of the chair. Will the Department do everything it can to get over that stand-off, resolve that situation and not be petty in terms of withdrawing operational funding? I understand the funding to the service providers is in place but it is the operational funding which is important in terms of the co-ordination of services, the identification of training needs and the range of other activities that are required within the inner city in terms of ensuring we have adequate and appropriate drugs and alcohol addiction services. What will the Department do now to try to overcome that stand-off? Surely the withdrawal of funding will not happen, as it seems was proposed in that meeting last week.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Frankie Feighan): I thank Senator Sherlock for raising this issue. The Commencement matter, which asks if the Minister will confirm that the North Inner City Drugs and Alcohol Task Force will not be allocated funding in 2022, approaches this matter from an unusual perspective.

The drug and alcohol task forces play an important role under the national drugs strategy in co-ordinating services to assist individuals and families to address drug and alcohol issues in the community. They are based on an inter-agency partnership, which is at the heart of the strategy. Task forces oversee the allocation of almost €29 million in Department of Health funding for drug and alcohol services. Within this global allocation, €2.2 million is provided for community-based services in the north-east inner city. I can assure the Senator that this allocation will continue in 2022. I am happy to inform her that in budget 2022, I announced the provision of additional resources to enhance health services, including drug and alcohol services, that will benefit the north inner city. These resources include €490,000 to establish a clinical community response to alcohol service, €340,000 to support the health communities project as part of the Sláintecare healthy communities programme and €530,000 to continue health services for primary school children and young people as part of the north-east inner city initiative.

I recently announced the establishment of the community services enhancement fund to provide additional funding of €2 million on a recurring basis for community-based drug and alcohol services. From this fund, I have allocated €240,000 on a recurring basis to the community healthcare organisation, CHO, in Dublin north city and county, which includes the north inner city. The CHO will commission community-based drug and alcohol services based on an assessment of population needs. Some 25% of the funding allocated is ring-fenced to increase access to the provision of drug and alcohol services for women, ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTI+ community, who often face barriers in accessing drug and alcohol services. It is intended that drug and alcohol task forces will be centrally involved in deciding how this funding will be spent and in commissioning the services. People with lived experience of drug use will also be involved in the design and delivery of the new services.

I have been notified of a recent email, purporting to be from the North Inner City Drugs and Alcohol Task Force, informing local services that the task force is no longer in a position to function. This follows the resignation of the outgoing chairperson and the impasse that has arisen regarding the appointment of a new independent chairperson. The Department is concerned with this development and has asked the channels of funding - the HSE and the City of Dublin Youth Services Board - to provide reassurance to front-line services that the allocation of €2.2 million will continue in 2022. I understand that the HSE has met with the directors of the limited company previously associated with the task force to determine if they wish to continue to receive funding to provide drug and alcohol services in 2022. Any funding will be subject to the standard governance procedures for section 39 organisations. I look forward to a positive outcome from these discussions.

There is an impasse. Senator Sherlock is correct. I look forward to working with the Senator and, indeed, all the stakeholders so that we can get over this impasse but I am assured that the services will continue. I thank the drugs task forces and their members. I value them for their time, energy and commitment. We really need task forces on the ground because they are the eyes and ears knowing exactly what needs to happen in the community. There is HSE funding and they, effectively, can direct where that funding will go. I hope that we will be able to be in a position to move forward and get over this impasse.

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