P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

Is the Minister satisfied he has sufficient manpower in the Customs and Excise and the Garda? Is he satisfied also that he has sufficient facilities for those two groups of people to monitor the huge south-west Cork coastline, which is the targeted zone for the importation of drugs?

In reply to a parliamentary question on Wednesday, 26 November 2008, the Minister indicated that the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre-Narcotics, based in Lisbon, is designed to tackle smugglers bringing drugs from Europe, Latin America and West Africa? The Minister informed me in that reply that the centre is operated by seven countries, namely, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.

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