Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate this evening. We, as Independents, have an abundance of topical issues to discuss. We have discussed health issues, laws on gifts and drugs gateways. This topic was raised because we were astonished to learn that an aircraft could land and passengers and cargo go completely unchecked at an airport in Dublin. It was astonishing to hear the owner of the airport state that the matter had nothing to do with him and to claim that the aeroplane should be checked in its country of departure. This excuse is not good enough. It is akin to saying that a customs service is not needed here if it operates in other countries. I do not know how anyone could come up with such an incredible response.

A person can effectively hire an aeroplane, fly to another country, come back and take whatever he or she wishes, knowing that his or her cargo will not be checked on the way back. It is akin to the situation on Border roads years ago where there were approved and unapproved crossings. Quite a number of these airports are now akin to the unapproved crossings. A person can bring something in with the high likelihood that he or she will get away with it. If there are customs on the ground, I have no doubt that people with mobile phones can warn those flying not to land until customs have left. People used to talk about "doing the roads for guys" in times past and the same concept applies here.

One thinks about the potential damage that drugs worth €10 million can do to society. The supply and increasing use of drugs are responsible for our increasing crime rate, including murder and other violent crimes, and antisocial behaviour. Our response to the drugs problem and the ways in which they enter the country is completely inadequate. Someone put it to me recently that if a restaurant was considered unhygienic, environmental health officials would put tape around it and close it to the public. I cannot see why the airport in question has not been closed down and both it and its aircraft subjected to forensic examination to discover how many aeroplanes have been used on these drug runs. At the very least, an investigation into those who have rented out these aeroplanes and those who have been on drug trips should be carried out. There is no doubt that nobody would chance taking drugs worth €10 million on his or her first run into the country. Those involved believe it is a safe route and that it is only a matter of gathering cash and taking it in.

If drugs are being imported, I have no doubt that arms and people without proper documentation could also be imported in this fashion. It looks like money is the attraction and there are many ways of making it through the drugs route. A full examination of Weston Aerodrome should be carried out. It should be closed down and checked out, as indeed should a large number of other airports. Their records should be examined to discover those who are hiring these aeroplanes. The man who flew the aeroplane in question had previously been imprisoned in England for drugs offences. Yet he was able to work in an airport and hold a pilot's licence, which is unacceptable. We need to take action in this area. We learned that this individual was very wealthy and had large reserves of cash, despite the fact that he only worked as a doorman.

We are possibly accepting credit for the drugs worth €10 million seized in Belgium and the drugs worth €10 million seized in Northern Ireland. However, these drugs were not seized in this country. The figures for 2003 show that 3% of the drugs were apprehended coming into the country and I believe this figure is inflated. A person has, effectively, a 97% or 98% chance of freely importing drugs into this country. Our response is completely inadequate. We charge people who abuse drugs when we should be trying to discover how these drugs were supplied to them.

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