Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)

I compliment the Sinn Féin Party on tabling the motion which has relevance for the entire country. Drugs are being peddled throughout the country. Every Deputy must deal with drug issues, regardless of whether they are from rural or urban constituencies. The problem is no longer just the preserve of inner cities. As a rural-based Deputy my concern is that the mistakes made in dealing with the issue in urban areas might be repeated in rural areas. The issue needs to be arrested in rural Ireland before it spirals out of control as it has in many urban areas. One of the basic mistakes made was the failure to provide sufficient Garda manpower to drugs task forces to nip the problem in the bud in the initial stages. If the supply of drugs is cut off the drugs problem will not expand. While I realise that may be fanciful thinking, with sufficient gardaí and drugs task forces with sufficient resources, the problem can be contained.

Therefore it is imperative that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform should increase Garda manpower levels and increase the Garda resources to rural areas. The Government needs to recognise that we have a drugs problem in rural Ireland and take action accordingly before we need to establish large-scale methadone clinics etc. in the towns throughout the country. Young people need to be protected from the unscrupulous drug dealers who have no regard for life. It is important to send the clear message to people who make money out of young people that they will be caught by fully equipped Garda units. We cannot send that message today, as we do not have those properly manned units. The Minister correctly said this evening that we are not unique in having this problem. However, the problem here is ours and it is up to us to ensure that what is needed to deal with the problem is provided.

I have concentrated on the stick approach to dealing with the issue. However, education must play a very important part in dealing with the problem. While some good programmes have been run, it is time for a new series of education programmes targeted at secondary school students in rural areas. Programmes that would show the full shock horror effects of drugs are required to get across the terrible effects of drugs to our young population. This is an issue for the Department of Health and Children and the HSE in conjunction with the Department of Education and Science.

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