The Government has been called on not to implement further swingeing cuts on drug groups in Cork City, which has already lost eight such projects and is facing a feared heroin resurgence.
The Drugs Initiative fund within the Department of Health was cut in Budget 2014 from €29.95m in 2013 to €27.95m, a drop of 7%.
But the country’s local and regional drug task forces do not yet know how this will translate to their budgets.
Sinn Féin deputy Jonathan O’Brien said a letter from the coordinator of the Cork local drugs task force showed it had suffered a 23% decrease in its budget, or almost €500,000 since 2008.
“At present, it has approximately 21 local projects and since 2008 it has ceased funding about eight projects because the money taken from its budget has meant that cuts have had to be made,” said Mr O’Brien.
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 30/10/2013
Safer Student Nights
eBulletin
Poll
