Addiction Service funding

A local drugs misuse service threatened with closure has been given a short reprieve, it has emerged in correspondence to Ballymena Council.

A letter presented to last week’s monthly meeting from Justice Minister David Ford revealed that “additional, extraordinary funding” has been secured through the Assets Recovery Community Scheme to extend the service through to March 31.

The letter was in response to concern expressed by councillors regarding the decision to cease the Department’s annual funding of £360k which Mr Ford announced back in November would be withdrawn for the Service at the end of January.

“This should provide the Trust with more time to consider how they can reconfigure their substance misuse services in light of the changed funding environment,” the Minister wrote.

He also stated that he ‘acknowledged’ “the value of the Railway Street Service” which has been described as a model of best practice in helping injecting drug users.

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