As we mark the 25th anniversary of the Rabbitte Report which set up the Task Forces, the actions of the Department of Health in relation to the North Inner City Drug & Alcohol Task Force will remove every shred of independence from the Task Force and will potentially remove the current Community and Voluntary representatives from their positions. If these actions are not challenged, then the right of the Department to treat Task Forces in this way will be considered as established.
Actions set out by the Dept of Health in relation to NIC DATF
- The Department is putting in place a process to appoint an independent chairperson and to broaden the membership of the task force to include all stakeholders
- Members of the re-constituted task force will be required to sign a code of governance based on the Charities Regulator code. No organisation receiving funding through the task force should be represented on the task force. A governance committee will be established to ensure compliance with the code;
- Pending completion of the above actions, the activities of the task force should be temporarily suspended.
The community sector needs to register our total opposition to this development, you can contact Minsiter Frank Feighan at Minister_Feighan_Office@health.gov.ie or an Twitter @frankfeighan
Relevant Documents
1. Statement from Community Representatives 8th July 2021
2. Reply from Minister Frank Feighan
3. Further statement from the Community Represenatives 12th July 2021