Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Again, I am making this reply on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan.

The Minister would like to thank Deputy Byrne for raising this matter on the Adjournment this evening and indeed we all welcome the comprehensive reporting on the drugs issue this week by the Irish Examiner.

The issue remains one of the most pressing social problems facing us. Given the destructive consequences brought about by drug misuse at the individual, family and community levels, many of which are recorded sadly in the newspaper reports referred to, it is an issue on which we as a society must continue to collectively maintain a sharp focus and sense of urgency. It is useful for any debate on the issues of drug misuse and drug trafficking to take place in the context of the nature and the scale of the problem with which we have to deal.

The annual report 2007 of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime states that the total number of drug users in the world is now estimated at some 200 million people, equivalent to approximately 5% of the global population aged between 15 and 64 years. This is undoubtedly a global problem, one which is by no means unique to Ireland. Equally, it is one for which there is no quick and easy solution. The focus in our jurisdiction must be to constantly strive to ensure that the measures and policies which we have in place to address the problem are appropriate and flexible enough to be able to respond to what is a global and dynamic issue. The Government remains resolutely committed to tackling the problem of drug misuse through the National Drugs Strategy 2001-08. The national strategy addresses the problem under pillar headings of education and prevention, supply reduction, treatment and rehabilitation and research and is firmly founded on the principle that drug misuse needs to be addressed in an integrated manner across these headings through a co-operative approach involving the statutory, community and voluntary treatment sectors.

As Deputy Byrne will appreciate, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, under the stewardship of Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey, is the lead Department in co-ordinating the implementation of the national drugs strategy. The Government firmly believes that the co-ordinated and integrated approach involving all the relevant players concerned with the issue in place under the national strategy is the only way by which real and meaningful progress can continue to be made in tackling the drugs problem. Under this policy framework, significant resources continue to be allocated to a range of measures dedicated to addressing the issue which are in place. A good example of this is the allocation of €50 million to the Vote of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for the drugs initiative this year which represents a 16% increase on the equivalent 2006 allocation. This figure is exclusive of the many mainstream services that are availed of in the normal way by those affected by problem drug use and the Government will continue to make resources available on a scale appropriate to the needs arising.

The Government is conscious that the drugs situation is a dynamic and ever-changing one and the policies in place must be kept under close scrutiny and review. The current national strategy is nearing its conclusion and with a new programme for Government taking us through to 2012 this is an appropriate time to reflect on and note what it has been achieved and make any changes in our approach which are deemed necessary. We need to evaluate the current drugs situation, our experiences during the past six years of the strategy and utilise what we have learned from the outcomes achieved when developing a new national drugs strategy for the period 2009-16. Initial steps in that process have already been taken. Under the remit of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the area of drug supply reduction and drug law enforcement remains a key feature of the Government's drug policy framework. Enforcement of the law relating to drugs very much continues to be a key element in the Government's policing priorities. Underpinning this approach, the Garda Síochána will continue to invoke a number of broad strategic responses in addressing the issue. Under the strategy, the Garda National Drugs Unit co-ordinates large scale operations against drug dealing and trafficking and unit personnel either investigate such cases or assist local investigation teams. Additional assistance is also available from other specialised Garda support units, such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the National Bureau of Fraud Investigation and the Criminal Assets Bureau.

A joint Garda National Drugs Unit-Criminal Assets Bureau initiative is in place which targets local dealers and the Minister has specifically included in the policing priorities for 2008 a reference that enhanced liaison arrangements between Garda divisions and the Criminal Assets Bureau are put in place in the pursuit of those engaged in drug dealing at all levels. As it is, profilers trained by CAB are now present in every Garda division. The Minister wants the message to be clear that drug dealing by anybody on whatever scale is unacceptable and will be pursued.

Significant drug seizures, including the considerable amounts of heroin and cocaine which have been discovered in recent times, have been made as a result of these strategies. Policing operations continue to dismantle drug trafficking networks and have led to the arrest in recent times of major criminals both based here and abroad who are involved in the drugs trade and such measures will continue to be vigorously pursued by the Garda Síochána.

The House will be aware that additional Garda resources are coming on stream all the time. These resources will facilitate the Garda Commissioner in the allocation of additional manpower to areas most in need, including areas with a significant drug problem. I should like to take the opportunity to wish the new Garda Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, who took up his appointment today every success in the job. In conjunction with this, the Government is ensuring that our law enforcement agencies continue to have a strong legislative platform from which to operate in their work in tackling those involved in such criminal activity.

While we already had a strong legislative package in place for tackling drug trafficking, the Criminal Justice Acts 2006 and 2007 provide further measures which will enhance the powers of the Garda in the investigation and prosecution of drug offences. In talking about the successes the Garda has had, I want also to pay tribute to the outgoing Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy for his tremendous work over the past few years.

Finally, the Minister is very clear that there is no room for complacency in our response to the issue of drug misuse. He would like me to stress again, as indeed would the Minister of State, Deputy Carey, that the enforcement of the law relating to drugs is a key element in the Government's policing priorities. The implementation of the national drugs strategy is also a key element.

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