All of the drugs initiatives across Cork and Kerry will be cut by 3% for 2014, but The Avondhu learned this week that the Mitchelstown budget is to remain at the same level.

Figures seen by The Avondhu show that across the board, the 3% cut will represent a drop of €30,098.25 across Cork and Kerry and while Fermoy and Mallow will see financial losses of 3%, Mitchelstown will not.

Speaking to The Avondhu, Cllr Kevin O’Keeffe stressed that while there is a cut, there is good news here too, in that the services being delivered in Fermoy, Mallow and Mitchelstown will be maintained at the same level as before.

“We agreed not to take any more money from Mitchelstown services and the idea is to keep the same amount of cover in place,” Cllr O’Keeffe said.

“I’m disappointed as a member of the Southern Regional Drugs Task Force that a further 3% cut has been imposed on this area, which covers Cork and Kerry, but the services will be maintained at their current status, as delivered by the coordinators,” he added.

This follows on from around this time last year, when Mitchelstown were in danger of losing the community drugs worker Mary Mackesy and the budget was slashed dramatically.