Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

Tackling serious crime, including drug trafficking, remains a key priority both for the Government and for the Garda Síochána. These priorities are clearly reflected in the Garda policing plan for 2011. A key action in the plan is the proactive targeting by the Garda Síochána of drug trafficking, including low level drug dealing.

Under the direction of the Assistant Commissioner at An Garda Síochána's national support services, the Garda national drugs unit and the Criminal Assets Bureau are pursuing their respective remits. A strategic partnership has been established between the Garda national drugs unit and the Criminal Assets Bureau in identifying common targets who are then pursued through intelligence-led investigations, in order to maximise the response of law enforcement to organised crime gangs. In tandem with this, the asset profilers programme has now been rolled out nationwide, with asset profilers based in every Garda division. These profilers play a key role in tackling those involved in mid-level drug dealing. The Criminal Assets Bureau utilises the local knowledge supplied by the profilers to target the assets of well known drug dealers in local communities.

The National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 puts in place a co-ordinated approach across the many Departments and agencies that hold a remit in this area, working with the community and voluntary sectors. Under our institutional arrangements, the implementation of the strategy is monitored by the oversight forum on drugs. This forum, which is chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Health, is made up of representatives of both State and non-governmental bodies, reflecting the ongoing multi-agency and multi-sectoral approach in tackling this issue.

At local level, local and regional drug task forces also bring together representatives from these bodies, including the local authorities, to work with local community and public representatives and so help deliver a better co-ordinated response to the problem as it is experienced in local areas. In addition, the joint policing committee initiative brings together members of the Oireachtas, elected members and officials of local authorities, officers of An Garda Síochána and representatives of the community and voluntary sectors. This further enables a collaborative approach to be taken in tackling the problem of drug misuse at local authority level. Related to this, work is also continuing on the roll out of local policing fora to all local drug task force areas.

See this speech in context