Home > Dáil Éireann debate. Written answer 260 - Substance misuse [47477/22].

[Oireachtas] Dáil Éireann debate. Written answer 260 - Substance misuse [47477/22]. (28 Sep 2022)

External website: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2022...


260. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that while the overall allocation to the drugs initiative budget in his Department has risen every year since 2017, there has been no increase in the core budgets for community drug projects since 2013; and if he will increase funding for community drug projects in budget 2023. [47477/22]

 

Minister of State at the Department of Health Frankie Feighan:

In Budget 2023, I secured an additional €10.5m for the national drugs strategy and inclusion health. This includes €3.5m for community and voluntary providers of drug and alcohol services and inclusion health services to maintain existing level of service. This will deliver a substantial uplift in grant agreements with service providers to cover cost of living and operational cost increases.

 

Details of the additional funding secured in Budget 2023 are outlined in the attached factsheet.

The Department of Health provides €28 million for 280 community-based drug and alcohol services annually. In 2019, additional funding of €1m was provided for drug and alcohol task forces, including €240,000 on a recurring basis for core budgets. In December 2021, I announced a new €2 million fund to enhance community-based drug and alcohol services - the Community Services

 

Enhancement Fund (CSEF). The fund supports the strategic priority under the national drugs strategy for 2021-2025 to enhance access to and delivery of drug and alcohol services in the community. This priority seeks to enhance community care for people who use drugs by providing health and social care services at the community level to meet identified health needs.

 

Budget 2023 Factsheet

Question No. 261 answered with Question No. 248.

Question No. 262 answered with Question No. 242.

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