Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Smith for raising this matter. I have spoken to him about it in recent days and am acutely conscious of the devastating impact that illegal drugs and drug dealing have on communities across the country. I have discussed these concerns directly with the Garda Commissioner and his senior team working on this issue since my appointment as Minister. Tackling drug dealing and associated criminal activity, including by organised crime groups and by members of the public who, through their drug-taking fuel this illegal and very harmful trade, is a top priority for An Garda Síochána and the Government.

The Government is committed to taking a number of direct actions to support An Garda Síochána in tackling this, including increasing the maximum sentence for conspiracy to murder from ten years to life in prison to tackle those who direct gangland and drug-related crime and introducing new legislation, just published, which will criminalise the grooming of children into a life of crime. The aim is to tackle the attempts by criminal gangs to glamorise gangland activity and expose it for what it is. The Government is also supporting the roll out of Greentown, a pilot programme which seeks to break the link between the gangs and the children they try to recruit. In addition, the Government will continue to support An Garda Síochána through unprecedented levels of investment to keep our communities safe.

An Garda Síochána continues to target those involved in the sale and supply of illegal drugs through Operation Tara, which has a strong focus on tackling street-level dealing across the country. Operation Tara also focuses on disrupting and dismantling the drug trafficking networks that impact on our communities and prosecuting those involved at every level. The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau has had significant and sustained success in disrupting the supply of illicit drugs by organised crime groups and I congratulate and commend the bureau on this work. The bureau seized over €235 million worth of drugs in the period 2016 to 2021, and made several substantial seizures in recent weeks.

This month gardaí seized cocaine with an estimated street value of approximately €700,000 and arrested an individual in the Dublin 15 area following an intelligence-led operation. The Deputy may also be aware that gardaí in Monaghan seized €384,000 worth of cannabis in December. The Deputy may also wish to know that the Garda Commissioner has tasked an inspector in every Garda division with responding to the issue of drug-related intimidation. There are currently 30 nominated Garda inspectors appointed to act as liaison officers for the drug-related intimidation reporting programme covering all divisions.

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