Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

I disagree with the Minister to some extent. If there is a presence at sea it certainly operates as a deterrent. The lack of naval vessels along our shoreline means that drugs are coming into the country aboard cruisers and smaller vessels. The coastline of Kerry alone is 300 miles long, so it is impossible to intercept everything unless there is a continuous naval presence. If he has the information to hand, can the Minister quantify the number of interceptions that were made last year by the Naval Service? If the Minister can provide them, I would like to know the most recent statistics available concerning drug seizures and their total value.

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