Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

While I should not say this, I would be as happy to be in Lansdowne Road cheering on my neighbour, Robbie Keane, as he leads out the Irish team. My best wishes go to them.

However, the House is concerned with a serious debate this evening. I notice that my colleagues, Deputies Catherine Murphy and Healy, are present. I compliment the Independent group for tabling this motion and providing Members with an opportunity to discuss this matter. I listened carefully to what Deputy Murphy said last night. In her fine contribution, she made reference to recent events at Weston Aerodrome. It is important for us to spend a minute or two dwelling on that issue.

It is clear that the smashing of a major drug smuggling ring some weeks ago by the Garda and their colleagues in Belgium and Holland shut down a significant drugs channel into Dublin. It is important that we acknowledge the work of the Garda not only in that operation but in general. Security at Weston Aerodrome should be on a par with the procedures at Dublin Airport and other major airports. I strongly believe that international flights into Weston Aerodrome should face the same level of security as similar flights into any other airport. The operators of that airfield should conduct a review to ensure that is the case. I know I have the support of many of my colleagues in saying that.

It is important to acknowledge that life is becoming more difficult for drug gangs at every level. I refer to those who deal in drugs on the streets of Dublin, those who try to bring drugs through our ports and airports and those who meet international drug smugglers in other countries. Garda surveillance and intelligence gathering is scoring major victories in the ongoing war on crime and drugs, and it is important to acknowledge that.

I do not want to talk about my constituency or my community in a negative way, obviously. It is important we support those who are fighting drugs in all our communities. Tallaght is no different in that regard. While I am talking about the justice element, I express my support for the drugs units in all our towns. I live in Tallaght, work in Tallaght and represent Tallaght within my constituency along with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan. It is important to mention that the drugs unit in Tallaght is worthy of our strong support. When the country was talking about other matters last week, I tried to focus on making the point that Tallaght, the third largest centre of population in the country, needs more gardaí and a new Garda station. The west Tallaght area could also benefit from the location of a Garda station there. I support the proposal to develop such a facility. I ask the Minister of State to convey to the Tánaiste my belief that Tallaght needs more gardaí on the streets. The drugs unit based in Tallaght Garda station also needs to be beefed up so it can continue the good work it is doing in conjunction with the general police force.

I acknowledge publicly the tireless efforts of the many organisations in all our communities which are doing so much to combat the drugs problem. I am not sensitive about saying that Tallaght has led the way in community endeavour. Many groups have done a tremendous job in that regard. The Tallaght Rehabilitation Project, for example, hit the headlines last week following its recent move to Kiltalown House, an historic building in west Tallaght. I know I am not supposed to mention the President, but I would like to inform the House that President McAleese joined the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, Deputy Crowe and me at the official opening last week. It was good to hear the President speaking so positively about the work of that initiative.

I also want to mention briefly some of the other organisations in my community, including the Brookfield addiction response programme, the St. Dominic community response programme, the St. Aengus community response programme and JADD.

The SWAN network, a family support group that operates in the Springfield estate where I live, aims to provide practical support to families which are under stress due to substance use issues within the family setting. The network uses a professional and holistic approach in a confidential, respectful and non-judgmental environment. It offers a tremendous service to the local and wider community in Tallaght. I have highlighted the SWAN network specifically among all the other groups in my constituency, with which my colleagues will be familiar, because it tends to be ignored when decisions are being made about funding and support. It is often not clear where the network should go in search of funding. Many people have reminded the Tallaght drugs task force that organisations like the SWAN network should get more help than they are getting. My predecessor as Fianna Fáil Deputy in the constituency, Chris Flood, who was chairman of the task force for some time, would be keen for me to express my support for that viewpoint and I am happy to do so. Perhaps the Minister of State will convey my concerns in that regard to the Ministers. I am anxious to ensure that resources continue to be made available to all the groups in my community. I have singled out the SWAN network because it falls between the various stools to some degree.

We need to support those who are afflicted by drug abuse. It is important to help the families of drug users and addicts to understand that their relatives can be helped and looked after. Those of us who have the privilege of representing communities — Tallaght is no worse than any other community — should support the ongoing work to which I have referred.

I want to speak briefly about the challenges which are being faced by many organisations which deal with people who are afflicted by drugs. A number of worrying trends are evident, such as the illegal trade of prescription drugs, including sleeping tablets and other products. The Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, is much better acquainted with this problem than I am. Many prescription drugs are being made available legally before being sold on illegally. Many people in our communities have identified that this is becoming quite a problem and needs to be dealt with. There is some illegal trade in methadone, which is made available to wean people off heroin. The Minister of State should tell the Ministers that there is a need for stricter policing of methadone clinics. I have been told that it is quite easy to buy tablets on the open market throughout the Dublin region. We need to examine this area and take some action.

When dealing with drug addiction and rehabilitation, it is important to focus on the key issue of education and to offer support to addicts and their families. That is why I expressed my support for the organisations in my community and elsewhere which are doing their best to help those who need assistance. It is important we continue to offer such support.

I acknowledge, in fairness to the Department, that a great deal of public money has been made available to support many projects and to meet the needs of many estates in my constituency. I will not list all the projects again. I compliment the Minister of State in that regard. My colleague Mick Billane, a former Fianna Fáil councillor, has often made the point that it is much better to spend money on community facilities, community endeavour and doing things for young people in the community than to help to create the circumstances in which we have to visit those young people in various institutions, as we often have to do. It is a simple message — it may even be a coy soundbite — but it is important for us to continue to follow it. My community is not the only one which is linked to this trade.

Deputies should use the opportunity presented by this debate to send a clear signal that the Dáil supports those who are involved in the fight against drugs. While drugs and drug dealing is not just a law and order issue, as I said earlier, it is first and foremost a law and order issue. I am glad the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, Deputy Ardagh, is present to hear me saying that. We must continue to view it as a law and order issue in the first instance. I have been told the situation has not radically deteriorated in my community or anywhere else. At the same time, clear challenges need to be confronted. I have already argued that more gardaí are needed in major population centres to deal with these issues. We need to continue to focus on the other side of the argument by helping organisations working with drug addicts to build up their resources. We have to ensure that good programmes are available and give as much support as possible to young people who need to be encouraged to avoid the dangers posed by drugs.

This is a very important debate. It is good that we are having it and that we are taking the opportunity, on what I hope will be a good night for Ireland, to support those who are involved in the fight against drugs.

See this speech in context