586. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the cost of returning funding for local and regional drug and alcohol taskforce to 2010 levels; and the cost to increase funding by 1% of these levels. [28679/25] 

Colm Burke, Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Colm Burke): The Department has recently published The Path to Universal Healthcare: Sláintecare & Programme for Government 2025+. The Slaintecare 2025+ Vision is to provide universal, accessible, affordable, person-centred, safe and high-quality health and social care for all.  This vision is set out across three key priorities: increasing access to services; improving service quality for service users; and building system capacity. 

Enabling reform programmes are designed to transform the delivery of healthcare services, including the development of the HSE health regions and population-based service funding. 

The strategic priority in the national drugs strategy of enhancing access to and delivery of drug and alcohol services in the community is fully aligned with the Sláintecare 2025+ Vision. 

The Department allocated €161 million under the National Drug Strategy in 2023, as reported by the Health Research Board. This represents an increase of 28% on 2017 funding levels, at start of this strategy, and is a 40% increase on the 2014 allocation for drug-related health expenditure. 

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Approximately €65 million is allocated by the HSE for community-based drug services. This includes c €22m allocated by the HSE to services in conjunction with drug and alcohol task forces. 

Budgets 2024 and 2025 allocated a total of €10.2 million in new recurring funding for drug services. In 2024, an additional €2.3 million was provided for community-based services, including €1.5 million to sustain existing services and €0.8 million to support the recovery of people from drug dependency and their integration into everyday life. 

Recently, I announced details of a further €1.89 million for community-based drug services in 2025. Through the Community Services Enhancement Fund, the money will be used to improve access to services in underserved communities, promote evidence-based innovations in service design and delivery, and enhance services for people who use stimulant drugs. Further information on this new funding for community-based services is available here: Minister Murnane O’Connor announces €1.89 million funding for community-based drugs services.  

This additional investment in drug services is reflected in the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) 2024 report published by the Health Research Board. This shows a record figure of 13,295 cases treated for problem drug use. This continues the upward trend in treatment cases and demonstrates an increase of 50% in cases since the current national drugs strategy commenced in 2017. 

The NDTRS report shows that the demand for drug treatment is across all regions of the country, all age groups, men and women, people with children and those without, and those who are unemployed as well those in employment. It provides clear evidence of the health-led approach to drug use. We have to face up to the wide prevalence of problem drug use across society and provide appropriate services to meet the health and social needs of the diverse population groups who use drugs. 

In accordance with a population-based allocation model, all new funding for drug services is distributed under the remit of the HSE health regions, with service priorities to be identified in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including drug task forces. 

Under the population-based resource allocation model it is not possible to ringfence additional funding for services in specific areas. Furthermore, ringfenced funding would serve to perpetuate inequalities in resources between areas and not respond to changes in the demand for drug treatment services.  

I am committed to increasing funding for drug treatment services, including community-based services, to improve access and service quality and to build capacity in the forthcoming national drugs strategy,  in line with the Sláintecare 2025+ Vision.