Laois drugs services to get more money to help crack cocaine users
Entities that provide help to people using crack cocaine and cocaine in Laois are getting more money the deliver services through the rest of 2023.
The allocation of €500,000 in increased funding for cocaine and crack cocaine services all around Ireland was confirmed by the Department of Health which also announced that Laois and five other counties is getting €445,000 in extra money to deliver other drug services through the autumn and winter of 2023.
Minister for State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton announced the €3.5 million and also confirmed where the €500,000 ringfenced cocaine fund would go.
The €445,000 comes from a total pot of additional annual funding of €3.5m for drugs and inclusion health services provided by community and voluntary organisations around Ireland.
Laois is part of the HSE's Community Health Office 8 which includes Laois/Offaly, Longford/Westmeath and Louth/Meath.
Minister Naughton explained how the money would be spent.
“A strategic approach will be adopted in the use of this funding, to ensure tangible and quantifiable health benefits for service users and to support sustainable improvements in service provision.
“Priority will be given to services which are experiencing increased demand and have not received additional funding in recent years, in order to ensure maximum positive impact,” she said.
The funding allocation per CHO was based on a population. The services eligible for funding are:
- drug services
- primary healthcare projects for Travellers
- healthcare services for people who are homeless
- healthcare services for refugees
Minister Naughton also confirmed that every Community Health Office applied for a share of a €500,000 increase in funding for cocaine and crack cocaine services that was announced in June.
She said the HSE has advised that submissions from the nine CHOs were successful. The Department said the share for Laois/Offaly, Longford/Westmeath and Louth/Meath would go to addiction services and Section 39 partners.
A statement said once-off inflation funding already provided €3.9 million to drugs and inclusion health services in 2023.
The Department noted that new funding supports the strategic priority to enhance access to and delivery of drug services in the community, under the National Drugs Strategy for 2021-2025. Funding will also reinforce the strategic priority in the Department of Health’s Statement of Strategy 2021-2023, to expand and integrate care in enhanced community care.