Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)

What will the Minister of State do to co-ordinate other Ministers and urge them to play their part in tackling drugs problems?

In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that €24 billion is spent on drugs. No doubt the Irish figures are far lower, and we will collate the data over the coming months. I am sure the Minister of State has been involved at a European level. What joint efforts are being undertaken to tackle the drugs problem properly using a cross-Continent approach? We have a serious problem, and I am very concerned that it is not being admitted; the same is true of other governments. Is the Minister of State involved with other countries to improve the strategy in Ireland and cut supply?

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