Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)

Amendment No. 2 reads:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"— recognises the serious threat facing Irish society as a result of the significant growth in drug dealing and drug misuse throughout Ireland in recent years;

— notes the devastating impact of drug misuse on individuals, their families and communities;

— expresses its concern over the alarming growth of drug misuse, particularly cocaine, and the related increase in organised crime and gangland violence from such growth;

— condemns the Government for its failure to comprehensively deal with the drugs problem and for its failure to fully implement the National Drugs Strategy;

calls on the Government to tackle the problem of drug misuse by:

— ensuring that all recommendations of the National Drugs Strategy are fully implemented;

— increasing the type and range of drug prevention and rehabilitation programmes available to drug misusers;

— expanding the resources and means available to the Garda Síochána to comprehensively deal with the criminal elements involved in the drugs trade;

— properly resourcing the drug task forces to allow them to prevent and treat drug misuse in our communities; and

calls on the Government to reinstate the partnership approach to addressing drug misuse through greater co-operation between local communities and all State bodies tackling drug misuse."

I wish to share time with Deputies McGinley, Neville and Jim O'Keeffe.

I tabled this amendment to amend Sinn Féin's motion slightly. It condenses the motion somewhat. However, I thank Sinn Féin for tabling a motion on drugs. A proper debate on this subject is required.

The purpose of this motion was to have a real and proper debate. However, it is a pity that Members have listened to 20 minutes of garbled statistics that do not deal with reality. We have a massive drugs problem which worsens continually. No amount of spin, twisting or producing expenditure figures will resolve the problem. I am disappointed the Minister of State was obliged to defend the indefensible. In his heart, he knows the drugs problem is worsening and is spiralling out of control. However, it is not good enough for him to tell Members that the review of the drugs strategy found it to be working and making progress.

See this speech in context