Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I am no expert on that. It is difficult to blame an Afghan farmer, since what he can get for an acre of opium is likely to be several times what he could get for any other crop. I will get the Deputy the information on that, but the question of building up the Afghan economy is much wider. We must settle that country's problems, build up trade and give people other crops that will support their livelihoods. At the moment, the attraction is felt at an individual and agency level.

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