Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 20 June 2024

Committee on Drugs Use

Drug Use Policy: HSE, Department of Justice and Department of Health

9:30 am

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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I am not au fait with the latest initiatives from the Department. While we are talking about how we might solve things at the consumer end, what is happening in the drug space, unfortunately, is that it appears that the volume of drugs coming into the country is increasing. Mr. Ryan mentioned a high-profile drug seizure. It was said that was the fourth of those. Three previous ones of that scale had come into the country. How much of it comes through here and transits on to other countries is another question. A significant amount of it is obviously destined for the Irish market, unfortunately. Mr. Ryan does not wish to comment on what our naval assets can do but if drugs are being dumped at sea, which is what is happening, and we do not have a way of interdicting that, it is a significant policy deficit which needs to be addressed.