Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I am disappointed the Government did not take a case against Justine Delaney-Wilson, who made serious allegations affecting a small group of people in this House. I do not believe the allegation, but I am surprised the Cabinet as a group did not take a case against Ms Delaney-Wilson and RTE because this serious allegation has been left to hang over 15 Ministers. It is wrong that somebody should make an allegation such as this against Ministers, judges, airline pilots and other professional people. When the furore hit the airwaves, Ms Delaney-Wilson went on holidays, which is also wrong. If she had the evidence it should have been produced. If there is a person in the Cabinet who is taking drugs that person should be identified and she should not be afraid to identify him or her, but she should not be using the good name of members of the Cabinet, judges or airline pilots to sell her book. I wish to put on record my disappointment that the Government did not take a case against her.

This week in Dublin 160 gardaí have come from all over the country to police Operation Freeflow. I wish that 300 or 400 gardaí would come to the city today to stop the free flow of drugs in the capital and every other town and village in the country. It sends out the wrong message. If the Government were serious about fighting the drug problem, we would see a major clampdown on the drug pushers that are walking around this city and around every town and village. Drug pushers represent one of the largest and most serious attacks on the community. It is time this House, the Government and the people agreed to put in place the resources, the money and the personnel required to get rid of these drug pushers. They should not be on the streets but behind bars. That is the attack we should be carrying out today.

This discussion on the national drugs strategy is timely given the sad events of the last week, which have unfortunately brought home the reality of the looming drugs crisis. It is clear to everyone that drugs are now widely available in every town, village and city. It is no longer a problem restricted to urban disadvantaged areas but affects people from all backgrounds, income levels and professions and is steadily spiralling out of control.

The recent supplement on drugs published by the Irish Examiner provided very worrying evidence of the trail of destruction left by drugs on the lives of people across the country. It gave a snapshot of the number of deaths, illnesses, family breakdowns, financial hardship and other devastating social problems caused by drugs and provided further proof, if it were needed, that we are fighting a losing battle. It is clear now that cocaine use is rife across the country. Addiction is becoming more and more prevalent not just in Dublin, but nationwide, and polydrug use is now the norm, with alcohol and other substances regularly mixed with potentially dangerous or lethal consequences.

The figures speak for themselves. Last year, more than 1,700 new injectors presented at the Merchant's Quay needle exchange service in Dublin city centre. It is reported that the numbers seeking assistance with treatment increased by 900% between 1999 and 2005. An Garda Síochána reported an increase from 180 to 968 in the number of cocaine-related offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act between 2000 and 2005. Nearly two tonnes of cocaine have been seized so far this year, the biggest annual haul in the State's history. In addition, more than a tonne of herbal cannabis has been seized this year, compared to 290 kg last year. Deaths attributed to alcohol have doubled in the past ten years. The number of heroin addicts seeking treatment outside Dublin jumped by 500% from 1998 to 2005. Between 2000 and 2005, there was a sixfold increase in cocaine detection in post mortem examinations. Perhaps the most worrying trend that has been highlighted by those working in drug treatment services is that we are now facing polydrug use among many of those presenting for treatment. Of those who reported cocaine as their main problem drug between 1998 and 2003, 93% reported using more than one drug. Often, ecstasy, cannabis and alcohol are used in combination with cocaine to lethal effect.

The Minister has set up the national drugs strategy, but we have been waiting to find out approximately how many people are actually taking drugs. Now is the time for the Minister to receive that report, and it should be published as quickly as possible. We have an epidemic in this country and we need to respond to it. In the past, the Garda Síochána used to focus on working class areas in which there was a lot of crime. The Minister should have a meeting with the new Garda Commissioner to send out a strong message as we approach Christmas. Taxi drivers in this city will testify that at weekends they regularly bring professional people to buy drugs which are then brought to parties. As well as targeting working-class areas, the Garda should focus on middle class areas and the rich. It should target these parties coming up to Christmas. We need to see some raids and to see the law applied equally across the State, not just in working class areas.

The Minister knows a lot about this problem because he serves an area that has been ravaged by drugs over the years. He understands it and is committed to doing something about it. Let us have equality in the way in which this problem is tackled. I ask the Minister to meet the Garda Commissioner about this issue. A plain-clothes unit should be set up to talk to taxi drivers and find out where these parties are being held, and there should be equality in the way in which raids are carried out. We have a serious problem which has resulted in the setting up of many centres working with people who use drugs. The national drugs strategy is not working. If it is working, why are more and more people getting involved with drugs?

We do not have a sufficient number of detox beds. People who want to be looked after by the State are presenting themselves for treatment but the beds are not there. It is time we got the extra detox beds that are needed so we can treat the people who want to be treated, who are crying out for help. In my constituency people are presenting with drug problems, which did not happen ten years ago in rural Ireland. We now see people being arrested in rural areas that never previously saw or heard about drugs. They are in every corner of the country now. We need a zero tolerance strategy on drugs. The Garda Síochána should be given the resources it requires, as should hospitals and drug centres.

We must send out a clear message from the Government and from the House that selling or taking drugs will not be tolerated. The people who take drugs are encouraging the drug pushers and making them millionaires. The President recently commented to the effect that the people who were buying and using drugs were every bit as bad as those selling them because they make the pushers rich and encourage them to bring more drugs into the country. She is right about that and this is the first thing that must be addressed.

We must put treatment facilities in place. We must provide resources to those dealing with these people on a daily basis. We cannot have people who need help waiting for it. We must give them the help immediately. When they cry out for help, the State must give them it. I know of mothers and fathers who are very upset. For example, recently there was a meeting in Castlebar and over 500 turned up due to concern about the abuse of drugs and alcohol.

Alcohol is also a drug. It is one of the drugs most abused in this country. We speak about the hard drugs, but we walk away from addressing alcohol. We support alcohol use. We see alcoholic drinks companies using sporting organisations to promote alcohol. Alcohol is the most abused substance. It is the most prominent family breaker in this country. We have a tolerance for the abuse of alcohol. It is time we got tougher and, in particular, that we dealt with it by bringing legislation through this House to stop sporting organisations advertising alcoholic drinks and having alcoholic drinks companies sponsoring their events. Surely there are companies other than alcoholic drinks companies which should be encouraged to provide sponsorship for sporting organisations. Sporting organisations should be promoting people's efforts to get fit and healthier, not promoting alcoholic drink. Their promotion of alcoholic drink is wrong and it is a matter for which legislation should be brought through this House quickly.

I welcome this debate and I am glad the Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey, will answer questions from Members in a question and answer session. I wish more Ministers did so.

There are questions which Members want to ask. My colleague, Deputy Catherine Byrne, is my party's spokesperson on drugs. I assure the Minister of State that she is like himself. She comes from an area from which she has gleaned a great understanding of the matter. She works in this area and she has points to make which she has spoken to me about and she will make these points in the Dáil today. She wants something done because it is awful to see communities, families and areas being destroyed by drugs.

This is the one aspect which upsets me most and which I have raised in this House previously. It is awful to see that these drug pushers, who are not working and who are unable to show where they get their wealth, are driving around in big cars when everybody in the community knows they are drug pushers, and yet the Garda Síochána does not have the manpower and cannot get the evidence to put these people behind bars. It is wrong.

Over the past year we have seen the amount of drugs found. We saw the find by the coast guard in Cork. That was only one find. What about the rest of the coastline? The coast guard has only one boat. How can we protect our coast? These are highly sophisticated people with plenty of resources because they are making big money out of drugs. These people have resources and the State must be given the resources to fight them, to keep drugs out of the country and to deal with those who are selling drugs and working in the drugs trade.

I ask the Minister of State to ask his colleagues, particularly the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, to commit to giving the resources. Every Minister, when he or she gets the opportunity, should condemn drug pushers. We should have a strong message for such people that the State means business when it comes to drug pushers. That is not the message being sent to and received by these people. These people think they can break the law, walk over everyone and do what they please.

We need to give the resources to the Garda Síochána. Second, we need to give the resources to the people who are dealing at the coalface with those who want to be treated for drug abuse. Third, we must get into the schools, which is the big issue. We must teach young people and show them the effects of people taking drugs. We should have videos and show them in schools. We must ask whether that is the life they want and show them a person in a drug treatment centre and the effects of the drugs on them.

Young people think it is cool to take drugs. It is not cool to take drugs. Families have been very badly affected. Husbands have lost their families, their wives and their homes due to the abuse of drugs and young people, who are now better educated, should know better.

Drugs are not the way forward. We should tackle the matter in the schools. We should have a programme on the curriculum that shows young people the effect of drugs. That is the way forward.

We must get the report and find out the position. The present strategy of the Minister of State does not seem to work, although I recognise that people are doing their best with the resources provided. We must get a new strategy. We must find a new way to tackle and deal with this.

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