Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I join Deputy Kenny in remembering those who have died in recent days. I commiserate with their families and remember the families of those who are ill. The Deputy rightly said that this is an ongoing problem. I said that last week in the House. As someone who is honoured to represent a city centre constituency, I am aware that the incidence of drug use has not changed much over the past 20 years. It has been occurring since the early 1980s. Last night's "Prime Time Investigates" was broadcast in the context of a recent focus on drug use. I acknowledge wholeheartedly the good work that was done by those who made the programme. I also mention the work done by the Irish Examiner a few weeks ago. It is good that there is such a focus on this issue. I do not think this is a new problem, however. We are hearing about it from those who have been to accident and emergency departments, for example. It is not new. It is good that people are being educated about the problem.

I will not repeat what I said in the House on 13 February last. Deputy Kenny knows my views on the broad-brush approach of those who think every young person is involved in drugs. That is not the case. I agree with a number of the Deputy's comments. I assure him that the work of the Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey, and his predecessor, Deputy Noel Ahern, has the total support of the Cabinet, including the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and the Ministers of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. This broad issue, which affects sectors like health and education, is rarely off the Cabinet table. We consider the issue in one form or another in terms of drug-related gangland killings, seizures made by the Criminal Assets Bureau or the powers provided for in the Criminal Justice Acts. In fairness, these ongoing issues have been handled by successive Governments over a number of years.

I will raise one of the issues raised by Deputy Kenny. I reiterate that according to the latest figures, 120 people died from drug use. There are always difficulties in identifying the cause of death in coroners' reports and autopsies. Less than ten of these deaths were from cocaine use. While I welcome the fact that everybody is talking about cocaine, cocaine as a killer in terms of drugs accounted for eight or nine out of that 120. The use of all forms of drugs — new ones, old ones and everything in between — is the issue we have to combat.

I strongly agree with Deputy Kenny that a number of groups need to be considered as part of this debate. I refer to those who are peddling and selling drugs and those who are engaged in criminal activity such as the importation of drugs. I will mention all the things we are doing to deal with such people. We have established specialist units to work on security and all the other issues involved. While the middle people in the drugs sector are sometimes smaller criminals, they are certainly criminals. We should also focus on those who use drugs. If there was no market for drugs, the people I have mentioned would not be in business. Everybody has to deal with this. We have a cross-departmental group working on this. A number of Ministers are on the social inclusion committee that I chair.

I was asked whether we need to look at doing more things. A number of my colleagues spoke today about bars and pubs. As I have said previously, if some 13 year olds sit at a bar counter and start to drink beer, the publican will react because they are breaking the law. If people take drugs in the toilets or in any other part of the pub, people have responsibilities as well. I have seen in my constituency and elsewhere the Garda using its powers to close pubs which allow drug-taking, or are tacitly easy on the drugs issue. The Garda aims to identify, target and dismantle national and international drug-trafficking networks which supply and distribute illegal drugs. If necessary, I can go through the many operations which are in force. If one looks at the figures, one will see it is not easy, and the Garda has pointed out that this is not just its responsibility.

The value of recent drug seizures demonstrates how active the Garda is and gives an indication of the amount of drugs present. Heroin worth €22 million, cannabis worth €13 million and ecstasy worth €3 million has been confiscated so far this year. I accept that the seizure of drugs worth €120 million at Dunlough Bay in County Cork probably would not have happened in the normal course of events. It seems that the drugs were destined for the international market in that instance. The Garda is also targeting people involved in the supply of drugs at the lower end of the scale and have been concentrating on this more recently. Many members of the Cabinet met senior Garda management approximately six weeks ago to discuss policing priorities, the Garda Síochána Act, the enhanced activity of the Garda drugs unit and the work of the force in general, particularly in so far as it relates to places where the presence of drug dealers and the use of illicit drugs is likely. Approximately ten new legislative measures have been introduced over the last two years to target drug use more strongly.

Dealing with this issue is not a question of Garda resources. I do not think there is a problem in that respect. We would be fooling ourselves if we were to think all the answers to the question of dealing with drug abuse lie with the Garda, or indeed with other State agencies. It is clear the State has responsibilities, which it takes very seriously, but so too have individuals. The Misuse of Drugs Acts give considerable powers to gardaí to search anyone if they have reasonable cause to believe a drugs offence, such as simple possession, is being committed. There is no problem. I have asked many times over the last week why the Garda does not go into house parties at which people are taking cocaine. The Garda has strong powers in this regard. If gardaí suspect that drugs are being taken, they have the power to act.

I will be frank — I would like the law to be enforced more strongly. I keep answering questions about the need to give the Garda more powers. The force has been given strong powers by successive justice Ministers. At none of my meetings with the Garda this year has it been suggested that its powers are in any way inadequate. It might be easier for people to understand that if they were to see the law being enforced a little more strongly. That is a matter for the Garda, however, as I cannot start directing its actions. The Garda knows the Government's views on this issue. There has been a recent spate of deaths, sadly. The Government will continue to deal with this issue as a priority on its agenda.

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