Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I wish to focus on the drug supply reduction aspect of this debate. As my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Noel Ahern, pointed out yesterday evening, drugs law enforcement is one of the pillar headings of the Government's drug policy framework, namely, the national drugs strategy. I reiterate the point that the Government's top policing priority continues to be the targeting of organised crime, including drug trafficking and the gun culture with which it is associated. In order to assist in its consideration of such matters, I wish to provide the House with more detail regarding the measures and strategies that the Garda Síochána and the customs service of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners already have in place in tackling these activities. Moreover, I wish to respond to a number of matters which have already been raised concerning the Government's drug law enforcement efforts during this debate.

Given its nature, tackling drug trafficking demands local, national and international responses and is primarily intelligence led. The Garda Síochána invokes a number of broad strategic responses to address the issue. These include identifying, targeting and dismantling national and international drug trafficking networks that supply and distribute illegal drugs within this State; conducting intelligence-driven operations focusing on all aspects of the illicit drugs trade, including commodity, logistics, distribution and financing; working with other national and international law enforcement agencies on joint actions designed to reduce the availability of drugs and the proceeds derived from the drugs trade; and working in partnership with statutory, community and voluntary groups to reduce both the supply and demand for drugs in society.

Best practice in customs administration worldwide shows that the development of information and intelligence is critical to the detection of drug smuggling. This has become very important in Ireland since the completion of the Single Market in 1993, which is based on the free movement of goods and people within the Community. People travelling within the European Union have the right to free movement and Revenue has no power to stop them except on the basis of a suspicion that is normally grounded in specific intelligence.

The Customs service liaises on an ongoing basis with other national and international enforcement services such as the Garda Síochána, with which there are in place a formal memorandum of understanding and protocols to facilitate joint operations, the Naval Service, the Air Corps and foreign customs and police services. It takes part regularly in European, bilateral and national surveillance operations focused on specific drug smuggling methodologies, including general aviation. Some operations of this nature have been directed specifically at light aircraft and helicopter movements.

The Customs service also shares and receives information and intelligence on drug smuggling from a number of international bodies, including the World Customs Organisation, the United Nations Drug Control Programme, Interpol, the Council of Europe, Europol and the United Kingdom's Serious Organised Crime Agency.

The Revenue Commissioners' Customs service is continually engaged in the analysis and evaluation of seizure trends, routes and smuggling risks and consequential resource deployment. All Customs operations are risk focused and staff are deployed to combat areas of greatest risk. Revenue constantly reviews staffing levels and structures to ensure that resources are matched to risk. Previously, it was noted that tackling organised crime and drug trafficking is achieved primarily through the use of specialist units and targeted intelligence-led operations and I wish to highlight some of the results of such measures.

Since November 2005, with the establishment of the organised crime unit in conjunction with the Garda national drugs unit and local gardaí, Operations Anvil and Oak have targeted criminals involved in the trafficking of drugs to prevent the resultant feuds which can arise between them. Since November 2005, significant drug seizures have been made as a result of these operations including 30 kg of heroin, 35 kg of cocaine and 1.4 tonnes of cannabis resin, with an approximate cumulative street value of €20.5 million. In addition, quantities of arms and cash have been recovered by the Garda through this work. This has led to the arrest of 41 persons and a further 26 are before the courts at present. These ongoing operations will continue dismantling a number of drug trafficking networks in the State and will continue to be implemented by the Garda Síochána, backed up by the provision of the requisite level of resources by the Government.

As for the issue raised regarding huge levels of wealth being generated and flaunted by organised criminals involved in the drugs trade, such individuals' activities are characteristically driven by pure greed and are carried out with a total lack of regard for the effects of their drug dealing on the well-being of the people and communities in which they operate. The Garda will continue to pursue vigorously any such wealth accrued by identified drug trafficking criminals, either through the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1994 or through the work of the Criminal Assets Bureau under the statutory remit of that agency.

In order to enhance the effectiveness of this strategy on a nationwide basis, since 2004 an initiative has been developed by the Criminal Assets Bureau in conjunction with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, in which one member of the Garda Síochána from every Garda division will undergo training as a profiler in respect of criminal assets. At present, a divisional criminal assets profiler has been appointed in each of the 25 Garda divisions and a full complement of divisional profilers is being maintained. The appointment of additional profilers will be kept under review, depending on the threats posed.

The benefits of such ongoing law enforcement efforts, which are often carried out in a dangerous and threatening environment, are demonstrated by the continued high level of drug seizures made by both the Garda Síochána and the Customs authorities, as well as their continued success in bringing serious drug traffickers to book and putting them out of business. Both agencies should be acknowledged and warmly commended in this debate for so doing.

No one on the Government side is naïve regarding this issue and we acknowledge fully that tackling the problem of drug trafficking remains an ongoing challenge to be faced with vigilance. However, it is one that the Government, in conjunction with its law enforcement agencies, will continue to tackle as a priority under one of the main pillar headings of its overall national drugs strategy.

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