Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State and again welcome his emphasis on the need for intensified cross-Border co-operation because we know these evil criminals who are peddling drugs across borders. There should be no tolerance for people who are peddling drugs and passing around cannabis or a line of cocaine, whatever social stratum they come from. We have all listened to presentations where professionals working in this area outline the horrors inflicted on people through the use of drugs. We need to get that message out very clearly.

I fully appreciate that we need to support people who unfortunately become addicted through different facets of their existence and of their lives. I have helped some of those people, alongside local support groups, in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan and across the north east. We need to resource the advocacy groups who are working with parents and with victims of the use of drugs. I know people who have recovered who are in gainful employment today, rearing their families and contributing to society. Thankfully, we have those instances where people with adequate supports can recover. We want to ensure in all policies that we do not lose sight of the fact that people can recover with adequate supports. At the same time, we cannot lose sight of the fact that criminal gangs and the people I mentioned earlier who are peddling death and destruction in every community in our country must be dealt with through a severe criminal justice system.

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