‘Cynical’ drugs and alcohol taskforce budget cut by 25%

A local opposition TD has slated the government’s budget cuts to drugs and alcohol task forces across Ireland.

Funding is to be cut 25 per cent for these services to €8.7m after it was raised in the last budget to €11.6m – the figure is now only €300,000 better off than it was prior to last year’s increase.

The cuts come after the conclusion of Recovery Month in September and follows calls from Clondalkin and Tallaght’s Drugs and Alcohol Task Forces for more funding to adequately cover their current catchment area and expand.

The expansion concerned Tallaght, who intend to begin covering Saggart, Citywest and Newcastle, areas which Clondalkin stretch to cover now.

Dublin Mid-West TD Mark Ward labelled the cuts that will affect Clondalkin and Tallaght’s Drugs and Alcohol Task Forces “devastating.”

Deputy Ward stated: “It is totally unacceptable that the government has decided to cut funding for Local and Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces by 25%.

“Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Lowry independents have abandoned whole communities to the drug crisis.

The budget for task forces before the short-lived increase was €8.4m and the opposition member feels that last year’s move may have been a stunt pulled by the Government to gain favour ahead of the election in November 2024.

Deputy Ward described the move as “cynical” and noted that he will see the effects firsthand in his area and in his capacity as Director of a Clondalkin addiction service.

Last month’s request by Clondalkin and Tallaght’s task forces for funding came out of a worry that the allocations of their catchment areas, determined by fixed geographical boundaries, restricts their ability to respond to rapid population growth and emerging needs across South Dublin.

South Dublin County Council had supported this call, noting the importance of the work as the region continues to grow.

Deputy Ward claimed that drug and alcohol services across Ireland are over stretched and under resourced.

He feels that the government has no excuse for the cuts and believes that they do not care for people affected by addiction, whether directly or indirectly.

“Addiction services funding was butchered during austerity, but what is Government excuse now, with the country awash with money?

“These cuts are nasty and cynical, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil must genuinely hate working class areas…

“…I believe that every person, every family and every community have the right to recover.

Funded by The Local Democracy Reporting Scheme