Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

That is the point. Issues like price on the street are relevant in that context, but they require a great deal of analysis. While I am not in a position currently to tender such analysis to the House, I make the point that there have been spectacular Garda successes in interdicting heroin, cocaine and firearms in recent times. Those successes reflect the fact that gang activity is growing as well as the fact that Garda competence is growing in response. I am not in a position to say where we should form our judgment of the truth between the extreme optimistic and extreme pessimistic views. By definition, these are murky matters.

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