Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I refer the Deputy to the position in respect of increased resources. There will be extra dog units available to the Revenue Commissioners and to the Customs and Excise. There will be an increase of 379 gardaí entering divisional drugs units, representing a dramatic increase from recent years. These are new initiatives. A greater number of dog detection teams will be provided. Extra X-ray equipment is available to the Revenue Commissioners and the Customs and Excise at all major ports and airports. The level of maritime resources will be increased by the introduction of a second cutter sometime later this year. The Navy will be part of the overall process. It is not simply a matter of enforcement, although that has been very successful.

The initiative undertaken during my time as Minister for Foreign Affairs and now in respect of our accession to the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre-Narcotics, MAOC-N, in Lisbon has been successful. I read a comment in the newspapers recently about its success. For a relatively small sum of money this country is part of an intelligence gathering centre in Lisbon and we have had success with several significant seizures.

Aside from enforcement, education and prevention, the treatment and rehabilitation of persons involved with drugs are important. We worked with other agencies and Departments and the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy John Curran, to put together a new national drugs strategy for the period 2009 to 2012.

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