797. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the assistant chief nursing officer, who had been leading the progress on nurse prescribing of opioid substitution treatment has left that post; if this person has been replaced; and if the replacement will continue to have responsibility for progressing this vital initiative. [32406/22]

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly: Among other things, the Office of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) in my Department provides policy advice to me and my Department across a broad range of areas, including nurse prescribing. My Department is working with stakeholders to expand services in the area of nurse prescribing, including nurse prescribing of opiate substitution treatment.

Goal 2 of the strategy sets out to minimise the harms caused by the use and misuse of substances and promote rehabilitation and recovery. The strategy recognises that people who inject drugs are a particularly vulnerable population that are susceptible to harm and need carefully managed supports to enable them to attain stability and a safer and healthier life. The HSE’s priority during the current COVID-19 crisis was to continue to deliver Opioid Substitution Services and to ensure everybody waiting commenced appropriate treatment

This work is continuing and in Budgets 2021 and 2022, I secured significant additional funding of €17 million to support the implementation of the health actions in the national drugs strategy. Further resources of €10 million were provided to meet the health needs of people experiencing homelessness and addiction during the Covid-19 pandemic. An allocation of €4 million was provided to support the expanded access to opioid substitution treatment for people who use drugs during Covid-19.

I am committed to supporting people with substance misuse issues on their journey to recovery.