by Alan Jacques
SINN Féin Limerick TD Maurice Quinlivan has slammed the government for failing to properly resource the community addiction sector.
Speaking in the Dáil last week, Deputy Quinlivan claimed that the Government’s “paltry spend” of €4.3million in Budget 2022 on addiction services will do nothing to properly address the difficulties faced by the community, and public residential, addiction sectors.
“I have been involved with a number of community and voluntary groups across Limerick for more than a decade, many whilst starved of adequate funding, do great work. They need much more support from the Government,” he declared.
“The Mid-West Regional Drugs and Alcohol Forum for instance has taken cuts of more than 50 per cent since 2008. Over the years these cuts have impacted massively on, and prevented, the delivery of drug and alcohol services that are urgently needed in Limerick and across the entire Mid West region. The bulk of these cuts have never been reinstated.”
The Limerick City TD also maintains that drug dealing and its consequences has become very public and widespread.
“The drug kingpins in Limerick often think they are untouchable. There is no properly coordinated approach to try and address this problem. A problem that has destroyed families and communities across Limerick.
“I am in regular contact with many of the groups that are funded and supported by our Regional Drug and Alcohol Taskforce and I see the phenomenal work they do on the ground. Their funding unfortunately has never been restored to pre-austerity levels.
“The government has produced a budget that will not allocate any additional funding to the taskforces. This budget does nothing to resource the community sector in addressing addiction and the root causes of addiction.
“Alongside this, waiting times for rehab beds are currently out of control but there is no plan for the return of many facilities,” he concluded.
