Additional €40m in funding for drug and alcohol services announced
Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Colm Burke and Minister Roderic O’Gorman Photo Leon Farrell/Rollingnews.ie
The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drug Strategy Colm Burke has announced details of Budget 2025 funding for drug and alcohol services and inclusion health.
The total increase in funding for drugs services and inclusion health in Budget 2025 is €40.5 million. This represents a 18% increase on the 2024 allocation and brings the total budget for drugs services and inclusion health to €261 million in 2025.
This allocation includes €4.2 million for new measures to implement the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery. These initiatives also align with recommendations from the Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use.
The increased investment in drug and alcohol treatment services enables a strong response to growing demand, with over 420 publicly funded drug and alcohol services providing 21,000 cases of treatment in 2023, up 10% on 2022. The funding will also focus on improving access to services in underserved communities and meeting the specific needs of people who use alcohol or stimulant drugs and those who have a dual diagnosis.
Minster Burke said: “The funding I have secured will allow for targeted investment across a range of areas to ensure equitable access to drug and alcohol supports for everyone who needs them.
“I intend to work with the new HSE health regions and the network of drug and alcohol task forces to ensure that drug and alcohol services are planned and delivered in a coordinated manner to meet population needs.”
Recognising the importance of harm reduction initiatives, €400,000 will be invested in a national awareness campaign and capacity building on drug-related violence and intimidation, wastewater drug surveillance and extended opening hours in the supervised injecting facility which is due to open in Dublin later this year.
The HSE health regions will be supported to deliver drug prevention programmes and public health awareness campaigns. These measures are designed to discourage young people from experimenting with illicit drugs.
Minster Burke said: “It’s very clear that the drugs market is changing, and our health service must be adequately resourced to meet the threat of new and emerging drug trends.”
