Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As regards the other areas, you speak about "a dynamic situation to which policy must adapt in a flexible manner". Respectfully, that does not happen. You mentioned the funding that came for the likes of the cocaine project in Tallaght, which was welcome. They are waiting now. They do not know whether there will be funding for next year; no one has told them. I mentioned the ten residential beds in the CHO 7 area earlier. That funding ran out in September. People are arriving for treatment or feel they are ready for treatment, the projects are saying they are ready for treatment, and the funding is not there. One of our members said funding is not an issue. Funding is an issue because it takes up so much time at every Dublin task force meeting I have ever attended, and that is right across the different drug task forces.

There is a big challenge ahead of the Minister of State if he is in the job the next time around. I wish him well.