Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 March 2025
374. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Health to consider permanent funding to support the drug related intimidation and violence engagement programme; her plans with this programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14732/25]
View answerDRIVE is an interagency project set up to develop systems and structures across the country through all the local and regional drug and alcohol task forces to support people who experience drug related violence. The multi-agency response includes the Department of Health, the Department of Justice, An Garda Siochána, Community and Family Support Services and the Drug and Alcohol Task Forces. The Drug-related Intimidation Reporting Programme operated by an Garda Síochána is a key element of DRIVE.
The Department of Health is the lead funder of DRIVE. It provided €190,000 to carry out research about the nature and extent of the violence experienced. These data were used to develop an intervention model to address drug-related violence and intimidation across the country.
Since 2023, the Department has provided recurring funding of €250,000 to support the national roll-out of the DRIVE initiative. This funding is used to recruit a national coordinator, project workers, and a data analyst to develop a data collection system in conjunction with the Health Research Board.
The Department has allocated a further €80,000 in recurring funding for DRIVE in Budget 2025 to support the development of a national awareness campaign and to develop local DRIVE networks.
I am committed to working with DRIVE to ensure that support and advice are available for individuals and families affected by drug-related violence and intimidation.
