Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

There is nothing startling in what the Commissioner is reported to have said. I have said the same several times. In any case, the comment was not in his official speech of which I have a copy. He may well have said it in a newspaper interview but there is nothing terribly new about it. We all accept that illegal drugs have spread throughout the country. That is why we have regional drugs task forces and Garda drugs units in every division. It is also why every Garda division has a special drugs plan. All these initiatives are taking place and a fortune is being spent on them. Some €43 million has been allocated under the Department's Vote this year, which represents a 37% increase on 2005 and 60% on 2004. If the Deputy can find any such increase under any other departmental heading, he should tell me where it is.

Urgent action is being taken and nobody denies that. I am not just talking about the financial allocations, however. Approximately €25 million has been mainstreamed out of my Vote to other Votes, so we are spending about €70 million on projects that began at community level. The Health Service Executive spends more than that each year, not to mind the expenditure undertaken by the Department of Education and Science and the Garda Síochána.

A sum of €200 million per year is being spent in the fight against drugs. It is not all being spent on treatment or supply reduction. We are also spending a great deal on prevention and young people's facilities. The work of local drugs task forces is spreading and I am sure the Deputy is pleased with the money that was allocated to Waterford lately. Prevention is the key to this matter.

See this speech in context