Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tackling the country's crippling drug problem requires major reform of our approach. Every day we hear stories of individuals, families and communities around the country that have been devastated by drugs. It is a problem in every village, town and city in the country and, at this stage, every crossroads, yet the Government's response is inadequate and underwhelming. According to the latest report by the Health Research Board, cocaine use in Ireland increased by 32% in 2017 and, unfortunately, that trend has continued on an upward curve since.

Commissioner Drew Harris attended the Tipperary JPC last Friday. He commented on the large number of drug seizures in my county of Tipperary in recent months, pointing to Garda successes. These are welcome but also point to the vulnerability of Tipperary, which has the largest motorway mileage of any county in the country. Coupled with over 5,000 km of national roads, mostly rural, this makes policing very difficult and offers easy access to those who profit from drug distribution. This is why I have expressed my deep concerns to the Commissioner about the recent amalgamation of Tipperary and Clare into one Garda division. The Commissioner is adamant his new plan will work. However, there is an onus on us all to be vigilant and to ensure that policing on the ground improves following these changes. To effect real change in drug crime, we require gardaí on the ground and the resources and technology to support them. In Tipperary Town, for instance, the detective with responsibility for drugs is without a squad car. We have only six gardaí in Tipperary in our drugs squad. This is a real David v. Goliath situation.

Mental health issues among our youth are made even worse because of drug use, and there is a complete lack of resources in Tipperary to deal with this issue. Mental health clinics are understaffed and, unfortunately, lack of access to specialised psychiatric courses is the norm. This must change. It will require extra Garda resources and, significantly, extra resources for counselling and education for those battling addiction.

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