The Minister for State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan TD, today announced a €2 million fund to enhance community-based drug and alcohol services. The fund is part of the strategic priority to enhance access to and delivery of drug and alcohol services in the community in the national drugs strategy 2021-2025. Details of the fund were presented to the network of drug and alcohol task forces today.
Minister Feighan said:
“I am delighted to announce the establishment of the Community Services Enhancement Fund to provide funding of €2m on a recurring basis for community-based drug and alcohol services. I am allocating between €200,000 and €240,000 per annum to the nine community healthcare organisations (CHOs), who will then commission community-based drug and alcohol services based on an assessment of population needs.”
Minister Feighan continued:
“The national network of 24 drug and alcohol task forces will be centrally involved in the deciding how this funding will be spent and in commissioning the services. Task forces are based on an inter-agency partnership which is at the heart of the National Drugs Strategy. They are well placed to assess the needs of people who use drugs or alcohol and to support evidence-based interventions. I also want to involve people with lived experience of drug use in the design and delivery of the new services."
Twenty-five percent of the funding allocations is ring-fenced to increase access to and the provision of drug and alcohol services for women, ethnic minorities and the LGBTI+ community.
Department of Health, 22nd December 2021
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