Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is right. The Internet was highlighted as continuing to play a very key role in shaping the new psychoactive-substances market. To provide some statistics, in 2013 the monitoring centre identified approximately 650 websites selling these substances to Europeans. One can begin to see the scale of the issue of where drugs become available on the Internet illegally. In addition, the purchase of new and more traditional drugs via dark nets - the underground online networks facilitating anonymous communication to which Deputy Mac Lochlainn referred - is a huge challenge for law enforcement. It is one security and police forces throughout the member states are very conscious of. It is a whole other aspect of challenging and dealing with the supply of drugs. It highlights the earlier conversation and why cyber-crime will have to be a priority area. No doubt, it will be a priority for the committee to discuss also. There may be at least 650 websites on which one can access drugs illegally throughout the member states.