Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force (TDATF) was one of 14 Local Drugs Task Forces set up in 1997 to facilitate a more effective response to the issue of problematic drug use in communities. It is in HSE Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) 7 which includes Dublin South Central, Dublin South West, Dublin West and Kildare / West Wicklow. TDATF is a subgroup of South Dublin County Partnership (SDCP). As part of this infrastructure, TDATF is accountable to the Board of SDCP who are responsible for overseeing the broad strategy and policies for TDATF. The Board of SDCP operates to best practice corporate governance principles and are subject to EU audit and compliance regulatory standards. SDCP has responsibility for the TDATF employment and financial policies, and procedures and project funding outlined in the HSE service level agreement contract.

The primary role of TDATF is to implement the National Drugs Strategy (NDS)-Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery 2017 – 2025 through leading an area-based response to mitigate the impact of substance misuse in the Tallaght and Whitechurch area. The NDS aims to provide an integrated public health approach to substance misuse and assigns many actions to Drug and Alcohol Task Forces (DATFs). Membership of TDATF includes representatives from the statutory, community, voluntary and political sectors. Through a partnership approach, TDATF coordinates a community response to drugs and alcohol across their catchment area. Local organisations are funded to deliver interventions along the continuum of care including treatment and rehabilitation, family support, supply reduction, and prevention and education. The demand for services to support the complex interconnected impacts of substance misuse in the communities of TDATF is increasing rapidly....