Dáil debates

Thursday, 9 May 2019

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Drugs Crime

3:05 pm

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The people of Drogheda are very proud of their town and of their record on hospitality and the fact that this year Drogheda will again host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and hopefully have more than 600,000 people visit the town. We welcome in particular the additional gardaí provided to Drogheda by the Garda Commissioner. I also welcome the contribution of the Minister for Justice and Equality to the fight against the appalling drug crime war that has broken out in the town.

I pay tribute to Superintendent Andy Watters and Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan for their work on this matter.

The problem of drug related crime did not develop overnight. For some years I have been holding meetings locally with local voluntary bodies and Ministers. Of particular note is the fact that more than 40,000 needles were exchanged in County Louth in 2018, the last year for which we have numbers. There is a significant dependence on drugs, but in the middle of this very serious drugs crisis in Drogheda, we do not have a proper outreach service. The Red Door Project, which has an annual budget of €150,000, is at maximum capacity. There is a four-month wait before a person with a drug problem who wants to go into treatment is able to get a place, which is a serious issue.

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