630. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Health if her Department funds drug addiction prevention initiatives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73694/25]

631. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding her Department has allocated to drug addiction prevention initiatives for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [73696/25]

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor): We know from international research that investing in prevention can significantly reduce the demand for drug treatment services, criminal justice system involvement, and the negative impacts of drug use on individuals, families, and communities.

Prevention has been a cornerstone of our last national drugs strategy. Under our last national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, we have made significant investments in evidenced based drug prevention in Ireland.

The Department of Health spend €172 million in 2024 to respond to the issue of drugs in our society. Within this funding, €4.2 million per year is allocated to projects in task force areas, many of which are focused on the prevention of drug use in their communities.

Below is a summary of funding allocated to the drug prevention and education funding programme, which was launched in 2023.

There has been a significant focus on the prevention of drug use, and I am committed to building on this work by supporting similar intervention initiatives around the country. In order to be effective, we need to continue to engage with young people in their own environments, in schools, in their communities, universities, and in social settings.

To inform the actions of the next National Drugs Strategy, the Department is working with the Health Research Board and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to review the Irish drug prevention system. I am expecting the findings of this review early next year. These finding will inform our next steps in relation to drug prevention policy.

I am a strong advocate for evidence-based prevention. We must ensure our younger population have the appropriate supports and care in place to build life skills, confidence, and the ability to make informed, healthy choices. I intend to make drug prevention a priority in the successor National Drugs Strategy.