Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)

I welcome this Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Bill 2005 and share the sentiments that Deputy Michael Higgins expressed in his contribution.

I have only a few brief comments. It is particularly appropriate that we should discuss mutual assistance among crime prevention departments in the EU and so on the day after a major operation in Belgium in which a privately owned jet from this country landed to pick up €10 million of heroin. That type of operation, probably more than most other aspects of crime today, requires a great deal of the mutual assistance provided for in the Bill.

In saying that, I congratulate the law enforcement authorities, Belgian and Irish, involved in taking that huge quantity of heroin out of circulation and ensuring that it does not cause the kind of misery to which Deputy Michael Higgins referred. It is virtually unprecedented, although a few months ago there was a similar seizure of heroin worth €7 million in Ratoath, County Meath. That probably demonstrates the changes in Afghanistan and the huge crop of heroin that has become available as a result. It should come as no surprise to any of us that such vast quantities are heading to this State. However, one can only imagine the human damage that such great amounts of the drug are causing here.

The other aspect to yesterday's operation is the almost "Miami Vice" style international involvement and a private executive jet being used to collect the drugs and bring them back to this country. That is how the international drugs trade operates and why law enforcement authorities have to be able to respond at that level. They have to work together to stymie today's €1 billion drugs trade. Having said that, there were a number of worrying aspects. Apart altogether from the type of drug and the enormous quantity involved, it is quite incredible that the jet involved could fly out of an airfield in this country and return without anyone examining it to find out whether it had a cargo, who the passengers were or what they were bringing with them. Yet it has been raised in this House in the past. The Independent Deputy for the area in which Weston Aerodrome is based, Deputy Catherine Murphy, raised it within the last few months and tabled a Dáil question this week highlighting the fact that no customs, Garda or any other type of checks are carried out on private aerodromes such as Weston. In the reply given to Deputy Catherine Murphy, the Minister for Finance, who has responsibility for the customs operations, acknowledged that there should be regular checks of Weston and similar aerodromes, particularly in the context of the international drugs trade. Yet those regular checks are not being carried out.

In 2005 a total of ten planned customs checks were carried out at Weston and six unplanned checks. Those statistics were given by the Minister in replies to Deputy Murphy. It seems extraordinary to me but apparently jets can land at Weston, the passengers can descend and get into a taxi. They do not even go through the buildings in the place. The buildings, of course, do not have planning permission in Weston, which is another worrying aspect. The owners and those involved at Weston do not appear to have any regard whatever for the laws of this land. That is the context. There is a blatant flouting of the planning laws in this place and now jets are flying in and out.

Presumably this was not the first occasion drugs were flown into this country. It would be an enormous coincidence if that were the case. The likelihood, however, is that it was not. If people are running an aerodrome with no regard for the laws of the land and the State is failing in its responsibilities to ensure proper customs and Garda monitoring takes place at these aerodromes, it is inevitable that the type of operation that was being carried out yesterday will happen. This issue has been addressed in the past in the House and has not been responded to in any positive way. I hope, following yesterday's activity and the reality of what can happen in that type of situation, action will now be taken and that proper customs and Garda monitoring will take place as regards air traffic operations from this private aerodrome at Weston or any other. If not, we might as well forget about the war on drugs or our attempts to deal with the importation of drugs into this State.

I have a further question I want investigated. I should like to see everybody involved or connected with that drugs operation yesterday thoroughly investigated by the Criminal Assets Bureau. As regards the property or land associated with people who were involved in that operation, it should be clarified whether this was the first time a drugs consignment was found there. The Criminal Assets Bureau has a major role to play in a follow-up of all of those connected with what could have been a disastrous drugs importation into the State. Incidents such as that show the relevance and necessity for the type of legislation we are discussing. However, there is little point in discussing legislation, ratifying conventions and involving ourselves in mutual assistance pacts if we do not take the basic steps on the ground to counter international drugs crime in this country. It is very basic that aircraft cannot be allowed to fly in and out of the State with people unknown to anyone, checked by no one and carrying unexamined luggage. That makes absolute nonsense of the term mutual assistance. That said, I do not want to end on a negative note.

The reality is that yesterday a consignment of heroin was seized by the Belgian law enforcement authorities. That is to be lauded. If the Irish national drugs unit was involved in any way in providing information that facilitated this to happen, it is to be congratulated. However, we cannot gloss over the fact that the most basic steps are still not being taken in this State to prevent this type of international drug smuggling. Of course it could involve all types of other smuggling as well. I hope, however, this will be a wake-up call and that what happened yesterday will ensure steps are taken to prevent any recurrence.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is not present in the Chamber. He was in the Seanad earlier and I am sure he has a busy schedule. I hope, however, that he will address these matters and that they will be brought to his attention. I hope they will be brought to the attention of the Minister for Finance, who has responsibility for customs. I hope my call for a thorough investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau into all of those connected with the drugs importation yesterday will be acted on and carried out.

See this speech in context