Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was reminded, during the last discussion, of the wonders of the free travel initiative in the late 1960s, which continues to have such a revolutionary impact on the quality of lives of many senior citizens in the country. That is the kind of innovation we require for senior citizens.

An interesting piece of research was published this morning, entitled Building Community Resilience, by Dr. Johnny Connolly from the centre for crime, justice and victim studies at the University of Limerick, with research support from Ms Jane Mulcahy in University College Cork, UCC. The research identified a terrible trend whereby ganglords of drug gangs are using children for the distribution and selling of drugs. It is a chronic situation that young children and teenagers are being attracted into this kind of atmosphere by unscrupulous people. We must mobilise the full capacity of the State to stop this in the interests of children.

We are discussing the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill, tabled by Deputy Curran, this week, which would make it an offence to buy drugs from a minor and make it an offence to use a minor or cause a minor to sell or distribute drugs. It is a short, tight item of legislation that will clearly signal to those who are unscrupulously using and abusing children in this manner that the State will provide a robust response to those actions. I ask the Taoiseach to signal that the Government will support the passage of this legislation this evening. That would show the Oireachtas responding in a telling manner to this appalling scourge.

See this speech in context