Cynical use of funding

STATE funding has pitted drug task forces against each other, according to Ballyfermot Cllr Daithí Doolan (SF).

Doolan, a member of the South Inner City Local Drug & Alcohol Task Force, slammed Junior Minister Colm Burke, for a “cynical” use of funding.

“The Minister has announced a €2.3m funding for local and regional drug taskforces.

“This announcement should have been a step towards undoing the damage caused by Government cuts to community addiction services during the austerity years.

“Unfortunately the Minister used it as a cynical move to drive task forces against each other to compete for crumbs off the table. Task forces will have to tender against each other for the funding.

“Instead of restoring drug taskforce budgets to 2008 levels, which has been the ask of all task forces for years now, the Minister will force them to be further dependent on the HSE for the allocation of funds.

“This decision reduces the independence and autonomy of task forces while likely forcing them to divert essential resources to completing forms and bureaucratic evaluation processes.

“This funding announcement was nothing more than an attempt to further muzzle drug task forces and prevent proactive, localised responses to addiction.

“I know from my own work in a drug project that drug task forces are innovative and proactive,” said Doolan.