Community drug and alcohol services to get Budget 2025 boost
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Community drug and alcohol treatment services are set for expansion next year as a result of increased funding in Budget 2025.
The Department of Health said this is in response to “growing demand” with over 21,000 cases of treatment for problem alcohol or drug use last year — up 10% on 2022.
It said the national drugs strategy would receive an additional €4.2m next year for various drug initiatives.
This includes monies for harm reduction measures, including a “rapid reaction” response to synthetic drugs, improving responses to drug-related violence, and extended opening hours of the long-awaited pilot supervised injecting facility.
- €2m to expand community-based drug services:
- €1m to facilitate the national roll out of community alcohol services — with new services in HSE Dublin & Midlands and in HSE Dublin & South East;
- €500,000 for drug prevention and public awareness;
- €400,000 to deliver harm reduction initiatives;
- €300,000 for research.
Drugs strategy minister Colm Burke said the funding for alcohol and drug treatment was aimed at meeting the increased demand and improving access in underserved communities.
The department said the €2m additional expenditure of community drug services will include the creation of three whole-time equivalent (full time) positions.
It said the €1m extra on the national alcohol services (with €1.8m in 2026) will be backed up by 24 full-time positions.
One full-time position will back up the €400,000 fund for harm reduction initiatives.
The department said €500,000 is for drug screening and brief interventions and public health awareness campaigns.
A report published last week by the Comptroller and Auditor General found that €500,000 that had been provided for a drug prevention and education programme }in 2023 was not spent and was handed back to the central government exchequer.
Responding to the drug strategy budget announcements, Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) said: “We very much welcome the increased funding for alcohol treatment services, particularly given the massive gap between those in need for help and the numbers accessing help.”
In a statement, AAI said 15% of the population have an alcohol use disorder — amounting to nearly 600,000 people, of whom 90,000 people are at a severe level.
Elsewhere, it said they were disappointed that there was no change in excess duties for the 11th year in a row.
“An increase of 15% in these duties would have restored their value to that of a decade ago and raise an additional €189m,” the statement said.
It said this would reduce alcohol consumption and provide funding for health services such as treatment.