Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

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

"recognises that the global problem of drug misuse which is experienced in Ireland must continue to be tackled in an integrated manner across the different pillar headings of the National Drugs Strategy through a co-operative partnership approach involving the statutory, community and voluntary treatment sectors;

wholeheartedly supports the Government on their ongoing implementation of the Strategy;

acknowledges the significant ongoing work being done under the four pillars of the National Strategy — supply reduction, prevention, treatment and research — and the decision to include a fifth pillar of rehabilitation to further focus initiatives in that area;

notes that the key finding of the mid-term review of the National Drugs Strategy in 2005 was that the current aims and objectives of the strategy are fundamentally sound and that progress was being made across the four pillars of the strategy;

welcomes the significant increase in funding provided this year to the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for drugs initiatives;

supports the Government's top policing priority for 2006 to continue to target organised crime, including drug trafficking, and the gun culture with which it is associated;

acknowledges the continued operational successes of An Garda Síochána and the Customs Authorities in meeting and exceeding the drug supply reduction targets set in the National Drugs Strategy;

welcomes the record high level of finances being provided to An Garda Síochána in this year's budget which enables the Garda Authorities to implement targeted, intelligence driven and high intensity operations against organised crime, with a special focus on drug crime;

commends the success of An Garda Síochána's anti-crime measures such as Operation Anvil, Operation Clean Street, Operation Encounter, Operation Nightcap and Operation Marigold and supports the implementation of such ongoing measures targeted towards the prevention and detection of crime such as gangland murders, organised crime, drug trafficking and other criminal activity which gives rise to serious community concern;

commends the record levels of Garda personnel strength now available to Garda management which will permit the deployment of extra resources to be targeted at areas of concern;

applauds the work of the Criminal Assets Bureau in continuing to achieve considerable success in depriving persons engaged in criminal activity from retaining the proceeds of their crime through its highly effective co-ordinated multi-agency, multi-disciplinary and partnership approach;

supports the comprehensive strategy of An Garda Síochána in place to deal with the threat of organised crime including drug trafficking;

acknowledges that the Government's legislative package for tackling serious and organised crime, including drug trafficking, is already viewed as being one of the toughest in Europe and welcomes the introduction of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 which provides a package of further anti-crime measures which will help enhance the powers of the Garda in the investigation and prosecution of offences;

notes that the Customs and Excise Service is continuously engaged in the analysis and evaluation of drug seizure trends, routes and smuggling risks, international trends and best practice;

notes that the monitoring of licensed aerodromes in the State by the Revenue Commissioners is currently in line with international standards and that, in light of the recent seizure in Belgium of 50kg of heroin which is believed to have been destined for Weston Aerodrome, the Revenue Commissioners are reviewing the risks attached to the operation of all 27 licensed aerodromes in the State; and

notes that the Revenue Commissioners have commenced a review of the approval conditions of licensed aerodromes."

As the Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy, I assure the House, on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, that the Government welcomes this debate on drug trafficking. The debate gives us an opportunity to focus our attention on the issue of drug misuse and the related serious and harmful consequences to which it gives rise at individual, family and community levels in society. We must address the issue in a realistic and measured way, taking account of its extent, complexity and multifaceted nature. We must be aware of the global and national contexts in which drug trafficking and drug misuse take place. Drug misuse is a societal and global problem which cuts across many policy areas, including the health, education, employment and training and criminal justice sectors. While drug misuse is most prevalent in areas of high social deprivation, it cuts across all social divisions. The Government is aware that appalling human misery is one of the destructive consequences of drug misuse. The Government has tabled the amendment for those reasons, rather than for the purposes of self-congratulation or political point-scoring.

When we consider the drug problem experienced in our communities, we cannot deal with the issue of drug misuse from a supply reduction perspective only, as the Private Members' motion appears to imply. The Government's national drugs strategy reflects this by addressing the problem under the pillar headings of education and prevention, supply reduction, treatment and rehabilitation and research. The strategy, which reflects the links between drug use, poverty and social inequality, is firmly in the social inclusion arena. I report on its progress directly to the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion. As the Government is conscious that it cannot deal with the drugs issue in a meaningful way on its own, its strategy and the structures arising from it are founded on the principle of joint effort, whereby the various interests work to tackle the problem together. In practice, there is an integrated partnership approach involving the statutory, voluntary treatment and community sectors. Bodies like the interdepartmental drugs group, the national drugs strategy team and the National Advisory Committee on Drugs are involved. The regional and local drugs task forces are involved at regional and local levels throughout the country. The strategy, which will run until 2008, demonstrates the Government's commitment to addressing the drug problem in a proactive, innovative and collaborative way. It has a balanced focus on seeking to prevent people from using drugs through education, reducing drug-related harm and providing treatment where required. It also concentrates on continuing to vigorously disrupt the operation of the drug market.

The Private Members' motion does not seem to acknowledge the existence of the national drugs strategy. It does not appear to recognise the progress which has been made over the first half of the strategy's lifetime. It does not seem to recognise the significant work being done under this policy framework. The Government remains fully committed to dealing with the problem in an integrated way. It has noted that the key finding of the mid-term review of the national strategy was that the strategy's aims and objectives are fundamentally sound and that progress is being made across the four pillars of the strategy. The fundamental point I am making is that a great deal of progress is being made. One could give a number of examples of the progress that has been made in implementing the specific actions in the strategy. On the supply reduction side, Garda and customs operations continue to yield drug seizures. I heard what the previous speaker said about seizures, but he should examine the graph which indicates that the number of seizures is increasing significantly. The Garda and the Customs and Excise are being resourced, funded and equipped. It is not long since I was present when the Customs and Excise took possession of a new x-ray scanning machine, like the machines which scan one's suitcases at an airport.

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