Ireland experiences one of highest level of spending cuts in EU.
Ireland has experienced one of the highest levels of spending cutbacks on health and policing in the European Union, affecting its ability to tackle the drugs problem, according to the EU drugs agency.
And separate figures from the Department of Health show a 14% drop in overall drug-related expenditure across all departments, with the greatest cuts in social protection, children and youth affairs and education.
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction said the impact of austerity on drug policy was “more severe” in countries hardest hit by the economic recession.
Its figures show:
- Ireland had the fifth greatest cut in health spending of 27 EU states, with a cumulative reduction of almost 7% between 2009 and 2011 — compared to an EU average of +4%.
- Ireland had the seventh highest cut in public order and safety spending, with a cumulative reduction of 8.2%, compared to an EU average of +1.4%.
- In terms of ranking for health cuts, Ireland lies behind Greece (-31%), Latvia (-21%), Slovakia (-16%) and Estonia (-8%).
- In relation to policing cuts, Ireland is in a cluster of countries experiencing a 8%-9% cut, including Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Hungary. Again the countries suffering the greatest cuts are Latvia (-33%), Estonia (-27%) and Greece (-10%).
The EMCDDA report said few countries, with the exception of Ireland, broke down their budgets to reveal the effects on drug-related expenditure.
“In Ireland, funds labelled to finance drug-related policies for health have registered marked falls since 2008 (by 12% in 2009, 1% in 2010 and 13% in 2011, in real terms),” the report said. “In 2012, there were expectations that funding for some drug-related initiatives would be reduced further.”
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 06/01/15
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