Mr. Jack Nolan:

I will answer the questions on behalf of the Garda Síochána. Deputy Bernard Durkan raised the issue of street injection and the proliferation of needles on the city streets. It has been a problem for some considerable time. Dublin City Council, the Ana Liffey Drug Project and other NGOs have been working very hard to reduce the amount of detritus of self injection on the streets. A visiting academic from Australia produced a worrying report during the summer and Dublin City Council has bins in place. If a self injection centre is established in Dublin city centre, the level of drug detritus should decrease considerably and it would be welcomed by business people, tourists and the inhabitants of the city. The Garda Síochána, would also welcome this outcome of a self injection centre.

There is a possibility that there will be vested interests associated with supervised injection centres. There is a possibility that people involved in the sale and supply of drugs would target individuals entering centres. There is no question about it. This is where the Garda Síochána's policing plans would come into operation. Those policing plans will be founded on whatever the final version of the legislation looks like, and this will be very important. Those plans happen now.

Senator Lynn Ruane asked us about the policing of the supervised injection facilities. I am heartened to see that the national drugs strategy refers to a health-led approach. The entire world has struggled with the criminal justice and policing-led approaches to trying to control the problem of drugs for many years. Besides all that, drugs are a fact of life in every one of our communities at various levels.

Deputy Jonathan O'Brien said there was a proliferation of prosecutions for possession, which we call section 3, and this is a concern for the Garda Síochána. There is also a very significant percentage of prosecutions for sale and supply under section 15 and other sections of the Misuse of Drugs Act. Within Dublin city and nationally there has been an increase in the numbers of prosecutions for sale and supply. The policing element of the issue is very important.

While we are not in a position to eliminate the sale and supply of drugs, we are making inroads. The members have seen the feuding in Dublin city and the policing responses to those feuds, the large numbers of arrests and seizures of guns and drugs. I have a list of highly significant seizures that have occurred. During the past month, over €1.1 million worth of drugs was seized in Tallaght and €400,000 in the Sheriff Street area. These are examples of the type of policing activity that is happening.

The draft legislation suggests power be given to the Garda Síochána to enter the supervised injection facilities. We have been conscious of the advent of the legislation and have engaged with our colleagues overseas in researching what has happened in their areas. In other jurisdictions, the police have the power to enter the supervised injection facilities. It does not seem to cause any problem. From professionals working in the area and other police forces, I understand this supervision and engagement is welcomed and supported by professionals in the area. I would expect and hope it would continue in this jurisdiction. Decriminalisation for personal use is a different topic and not for us here.