Addiction treatment services remain the "poor relation" of the health service despite rising trends in drug and alcohol abuse.
One in five drinkers in Ireland are classified with Alcohol Use Disorder with a notable increase in the length of stay compared to non-alcohol-related conditions.
The economic burden of alcohol harm is estimated to cost Ireland up to €12 billion annually.
Speaking to RedFM News Colette Kelleher of the Cork based Tabor Group treatment centre says despite the growing need and demand for help, there has been no increase in their baseline funding:
"A proper investment as a health condition this budget by Government is long overdue. And really we shouldn't be treating people who are experiencing addiction who are already often very lonely, very isolated, very stigmatised, stop treating it as a health condition, stop being at the back of the que and being treated as the Cinderella of the health services."
