Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a brief question for the Commissioner on what he stated is probably one of the biggest problems facing him as Commissioner and leader of the Garda force, the importation of drugs. Not that he will need reminding of the substantial shipment in Dunlough Bay in west Cork in recent years which, thankfully, was intercepted and the subsequent significant consignment of drugs brought into Castletownbere by way of a yacht from South America which, through surveillance by the Garda and international policing, was apprehended, these substantial amounts of drugs were probably designed for the London or English market, not for local consumption. There was a fear at the time that the south west coast was a gateway for the trafficking of such large amounts of drugs. Is the Commissioner satisfied that the level of co-operation with Interpol, the CIA or FBI and other international agencies is sufficient to monitor and prevent such importation of large amounts of drugs, which were frightening episodes for those living in the constituency I represent? Is the co-operation at a level with which he is happy or should it be better? Are we on top of this trafficking in so far as we can be?