1376. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the additional funding to be allocated to drug and alcohol task forces to implement the actions in the Drug Relation Intimidation and Violence Engagement report as launched on 26 November 2021. [63043/21]

1495. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he is considering allocating additional funding to drug and alcohol task forces in 2022 to implement the actions in the Drug Related Intimidation and Violence Engagement report launched on 26 November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63404/21]

Minister of State at the Department of Health: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1376 and 1495 together.

In 2019, funding of €180,000 over 36 months was awarded to the DRIVE (Drug-related Intimidation & Violence Engagement) initiative, which includes the cost of recruiting a national coordinator.

The DRIVE Oversight committee leading the initiative comprises of relevant stakeholders from the Regional and Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces, An Garda Síochána, the HSE Addiction Services, Family Support Services, Community & Voluntary services and Probation Services

The DRIVE Project aims to;

1. Develop a data driven community intervention model to build the capacity of communities to respond more effectively to drug related intimidation and violence.

2. Build the capacity of relevant stakeholders in communities to better understand drug related intimidation and violence, its impact on their everyday lives and the potential supports  available to them for an ordered response

3. Develop a mechanism for capturing the nature and prevalence of drug related intimidation and violence at community, regional and national level to informed targeted responses at each level of need

4. Develop sustainable regional and local interagency structures and systems to improve collaboration between the An Garda Síochána and key Community, Voluntary & Statutory stakeholders across Task Force Areas to work together to address DRI at community level

5. Develop an interagency focal point for developing models of good practice, dissemination of evidence informed approaches and awareness raising

I recently launched the DRIVE research report in late November 2021.

Phase 2 of the DRIVE initiative involves the following actions;

1. The recruitment of the DRIVE coordinator to project manage its rollout and dissemination into communities

2. The development of the data collection tool with the Health Research Board.

3. Design training in conjunction with An Garda Síochána, task forces, and people with lived experience and progress to  implementation on the ground

I fully support the work of the DRIVE Initiative to tackle drug related intimidation and violence and look forward to the implementation of the new data-driven community intervention model. I will consider any request for additional resources upon completion and evaluation of phase 2 of the project.