Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

As previous speakers have stated, this is an important debate and I thank Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan for tabling this comprehensive Private Members' motion. As the budget will be announced within eight weeks of this debate and given the amount of kite flying that has been taking place in other areas regarding cuts, it is of particular importance to have a real debate on this subject over the next two days. In stating the obvious, there is a massive crisis. There must be urgent action on the part of the State and a real discussion on the problem because the measures taken thus far, while having some effect, really have made little progress or have had little impact. As my colleague has noted, the drug problem developed in Dublin's inner city in the 1980s and mainly manifested itself as a problem with heroin addiction. However, we now are faced with a national problem involving polydrug use, including alcohol, as well as a massive increase in gang activity around the issue, which is a major element to have developed recently.

I represent the constituency of Dublin South-Central, which is the most disadvantaged urban constituency in the country. While its people are very proud and well organised in their efforts to organise their community, that is the legacy of the Celtic tiger in my constituency. I refer to the poverty levels, unemployment and youth unemployment levels and the high numbers of early school leavers in that area. Moreover, there is serious drug and alcohol abuse within the community, as well as gang activity. An informed source told me the areas of Dublin 10 and 12 have the highest levels of drug seizures and highest drug use and supply in the entire country. There is an epidemic of hashish, which is not like it was in the 1970s but which is a potent, powerful and very expensive drug. It costs approximately €50 to buy a bag, from which one might get four joints. In addition, another dangerous drug, crystal meth, is beginning to make its appearance in the community.

The constituency has experienced a vicious feud between two gangs in the Dublin 12 area that has resulted in 29 murders, the most recent of which was the vicious shooting of a gang member in front of his child. There is a major problem of intimidation which must be addressed, although I acknowledge it has been addressed by some of the local task forces. During the past two years, I have been approached by community groups, such as Addiction Response Crumlin, ARC, and individual families with regard to the intimidation in the area. For example, one family was driven out of their home by gang activity recently. Only yesterday, I spoke to a woman who is being extorted of €10,000 by the gangs in the area. These are people who are in receipt of social welfare and this has been going on daily. For €40, they are willing to put in one's windows unless one pays up. This is the level of activity within the community that people are facing and it is not an exception but is widespread. The gangs in my area usually are based around criminal families, which groom troubled teenagers and children, some as young as ten, to expand their operations. These children and teenagers are used to target families on behalf of those gangs and this cannot be ascribed to antisocial behaviour but constitutes organised crime in the community.

As a member of the local policing forum, my perception is there is a lack of urgency in dealing with such issues. I am sure the position is the same in other areas and I note Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan made particular reference to the inner city local policing forum. This must come from the top, that is, there must be a Government-driven strategy to deal with this issue. I recall that a special drugs policing forum operated in the inner city. It intervened in the community and did a very good job until its disbandment after a number of years of being in place. However, one is told the Garda cannot do much because families are not coming forward. There is a reason families do not come forward, which is they are afraid that their houses might be burned, petrol bombed or pipe bombed. They fear that their windows could be put in or, in some exceptional circumstances, that they could be shot dead. Anyone with any local knowledge knows who is involved in this gang war. There must be a strategy to target such serious criminals. There must be constant surveillance, raids, searches and constant arrests in respect of these criminal gangs. There must be CAB investigations to let them know they cannot act with impunity, which is what they are doing at present in many communities.

I also wish to address the issue of services. The Addiction Response Crumlin centre is a highly successful community response to the drug crisis. Working with more than 550 individuals and families, it runs a total of eight projects, which include three community employment schemes and family support for 80 families with an under-18 project. However, since 2008 the centre has had its funding cut by 22.7%. Its training allowance has been cut by 50%, its material grant cut by 53% and its administrators must juggle things around skilfully. A citywide estimate of community drug services in general indicates they have had their funding cut by 29% since 2008. The dial to stop drug dealing initiative, which built up local knowledge and had been introduced highly successfully by all accounts, was abolished in January of this year without consultation. The cuts have devastated and undermined the community's response to the drugs crisis and another round of cuts in the forthcoming budget would be disastrous. Perhaps someone in government should explain this to the troika. Our communities are being devastated and we cannot take any more from that perspective. Finally, I fully support the point made about opening up debate in respect of legislation to legalise certain drugs at least, thereby removing organised crime from the scene. International experience shows the war on drugs is a complete and absolute failure.

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