Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

That is correct. It has not changed by more than a handful over that period. However, the strength of drug units nationally has expanded substantially in the same period.

I agree with Deputy Howlin that drugs are a very serious issue but drugs units are not the only component of the battle against gang land. Detective units carrying out surveillance and other operations and the armed detective units who participated in Operation Anvil and Operation Oak work shoulder to shoulder with the drug detectives so the 331 gardaí and 48 members of the national drugs unit do not represent the total complement dealing with gangland activity.

I also agree with the Deputy that cocaine specifically is a very serious problem and have spoken out against the notion that it is a recreational drug which people are free to take in a libertarian way without consequence to others. There is a direct consequence to others as there cannot be cocaine without cocaine cartels or cocaine cartels without people being shot down. The consumption of cocaine has profound effects on our society.

The test carried out by DCU was very interesting because it suggests cocaine is widely available in Ireland. If, however, money is sorted and counted in machines, cross-contamination may occur and the fact that every note had a trace of cocaine could well be a result of cocaine-soiled notes being sorted with others. I do not draw the conclusion that every note in people's pockets has recently been in the hands of a drug user.

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