Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I wish to share time with Deputy P.J. Sheehan. It is important to let Deputy Sheehan have his say on this incident as it took place a couple of hundred yards from his home.

Last night and today people have being following the extraordinary story of attempted drug smuggling off the west Cork coast, near Goleen. Garda sources now say that up to 1.5 tonnes of baled cocaine have been recovered from the sea next to an upturned inflatable boat. This, the largest drugs haul in the history of the State, happened by chance and because of the weather and the incompetence of the gang of men involved. The street value of the enormous haul of drugs is estimated to be as high as €300 million. Make no mistake, this should be given the priority of a major international drug smuggling incident. We need to learn lessons from what happened and put measures in place to reduce the likelihood of it happening again.

It is not the first time we have seen seizures of drugs off the south-west coast. In July 1991, cannabis worth €9 million was seized in Courtmacsherry; in July 1993 cannabis worth €25 million was found off the Clare coast; in September 1996 cocaine worth €125 million was found on a trawler in Cork harbour; in September 1998 cocaine worth €61 million was found on a catamaran yacht in Kinsale harbour; and in November 1999 cannabis worth €18 million was discovered off the south-west coast by the Naval Service. Now, cocaine worth between €200 million and €300 million has been found in Goleen. It is not surprising, therefore, that senior customs officers state Ireland is perceived as a soft touch for criminal gangs for their drug trafficking activities in the EU.

The Taoiseach's response today in the Dáil was nothing short of pathetic. Apart from saying that we were talking to our EU partners about how best to counteract drug smuggling and announcing the setting up of a monitoring centre in Lisbon, he had little or nothing to say about Ireland's state of preparedness to combat drug smuggling. Yes, we do need to work with other countries which face similar challenges, but we can certainly do something more ourselves within Irish waters in the meantime.

The truth is that we are, indeed, a soft touch for drug smugglers in having an open, largely unpatrolled coastline. We have a competent but small Naval Service, an under-resourced coastguard and an inadequate customs structure in terms of policing and monitoring activity along our coastline. If this incident, which happened purely by accident, does not jolt us into a frank and honest debate about how we invest in the fight against drug trafficking then what will?

P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Coveney for allowing me two minutes of his time. The find of a massive cocaine haul off the coast of south-west Cork in Dunlough Bay, near Mizen Head, yesterday, 2 July 2007, was valued at more than €300 million, making it the biggest drugs find in the history of the State. Priority must be given to policing our coastline, involving investment in our coastal defences, gardaí in coastal areas, the coastguard services, the Naval Service and the Customs and Excise.

Did a CASA patrol aeroplane monitor this area in the 48 hours prior to this event? A CASA patrol aeroplane monitors every Irish fishing trawler that leaves our ports and the Irish Naval Service intercepts them in Irish territorial waters and investigates them. How was this international yacht free to enter Irish waters with her deadly haul of cocaine worth €300 million and to put it aboard RIB inflated crafts to bring ashore in Dunlough Bay in my constituency, five miles from where I live?

The Taoiseach, in his reply today, said there would be an international monitoring conference in Lisbon and that he had been in communication with the relevant people. The State did not hear about this incident until the Goleen inshore rescue service was called out on humanitarian grounds to rescue three people clinging onto the raft in Dunlough Bay, after one had swum ashore to raise the alarm at 7 a.m., which alerted the authorities. The Goleen inshore rescue service was the only service that was called to the area. This is not proper management of our coastal area and I urge the Government to take immediate steps to arrest a practice that has been going on for years. The Minister and the Government have been warned about this over the years.

The time is ripe for action and not pious words. Actions speak louder than words. The Government will have to act before it is too late and I appeal to the Minister of State to do so.

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I make this reply on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. I thank Deputies Coveney and Sheehan for raising this important matter in the House.

All Members share a sense of relief that the attempt to import a massive amount of cocaine into west Cork on Sunday night and Monday morning failed. I commend the efforts of the Garda Síochána, the customs service, the Naval Service and the coast guard on the operation which has been taking place there over the past couple of days. I acknowledge the great amount of support and assistance they received in their efforts from members of the local community.

The House will appreciate that this matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation from which criminal charges would be expected to ensue so there are some constraints on what I can say. I understand that the Minister met with the Garda Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner for operations earlier this evening about a range of matters and has been fully briefed on the incident. I also understand that he has been assured by the Commissioner of the Garda's determination to bring its investigation into this matter to a successful conclusion and that no resources will be spared.

The basic facts are by now fairly well known. At 8 a.m. yesterday, Bantry Garda station was alerted to a situation at Dunlough Bay, Mizen Head, where a type of vessel known as a RIB had reportedly ran aground on rocks in heavy seas. One of the occupants of the RIB swam ashore and called to a local residence where the emergency services were alerted. This person was taken by ambulance to Bantry General Hospital. A second person was rescued from the sea and also taken to the hospital. The submerged RIB was 100 yd. off the shoreline in rough seas, together with a large number of floating parcels. Sixty bales, each containing 25 kg. of what is believed to be cocaine, were recovered and removed to Bantry Garda station where an incident room has been established. Three vehicles which are believed to have been linked to the attempted importation have been seized and are being technically examined at Bantry Garda station. The two people removed to the hospital are obviously central to the Garda investigation, but others suspected to have been involved in the attempted importation are also being sought as part of an intensive Garda operation. A full search of the coastline was resumed at first light this morning.

This incident is a stark reminder of the difficulties faced by all of the agencies involved in trying to prevent drugs being imported into the country, either for use in Ireland, or as is likely to be the case here, for onward transmission to other countries. Nobody should underestimate the difficulties posed by the nature and extent — some 3,000 miles — of our coastline. Under the national drugs strategy, the customs service has primary responsibility for the prevention, detection, interception and seizure of controlled drugs at importation. However, the strategy recognises the vital importance of co-operation between the customs service and the Garda Síochána — for which Deputy Brian Lenihan is the accountable Minister — as well as the Naval Service.

While a certain amount may be achieved by random patrols of our waters, the priority must be intelligence-based targeted activities by all the agencies involved. In terms of intelligence gathering and sharing of information, the agencies here co-operate fully not only among themselves but with their counterparts in organisations such as Europol, the World Customs Organisation, the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in the UK. On the role of the Garda Síochána, for example, Garda liaison officers are based at London, Paris, The Hague, Madrid and Europol. The work of the customs service in monitoring our rugged and indented coastline is based on risk analysis and intelligence-led enforcement. Mobile anti-smuggling teams operate from key strategic locations. These officers are engaged in intelligence gathering and in operational interventions. This type of enforcement strategy is in keeping with best international practice. The customs service drugs watch programme is also in place to encourage the coastal and maritime communities to assist in confidentially reporting suspicious activity and a dedicated freephone is in operation on a 24-7 basis.

In order to enhance the State's capability to protect the community from drug trafficking by sea, the Revenue Commissioners deployed the customs cutter, Suirbhéir, in 2004. This vessel is currently engaged in the search operation. The Revenue Commissioners constantly monitor the adequacy of the controls that are in place in response to emerging trends and risks as identified both nationally and internationally. Co-operation with other customs services and law enforcement agencies abroad is also an important aspect of this work and such co-operation and intelligence exchange is well established and effective.

In light of recent events I am glad, on behalf of the Minister, to be able to inform the House of a very significant initiative which is under way, namely, the establishment in Lisbon of a new maritime analysis and operational centre. The centre is intended to focus on targeting the sea cocaine routes from Central and South America into the European Union. It will collect and analyse operational information, enhance intelligence through better information exchange, and ascertain the availability of assets to facilitate interdictions in accordance with the national laws of the participants involved. The UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, France and the Netherlands will participate in the work of the centre. I have made clear my full support for this initiative in which the Garda Síochána, the customs service and the Naval Service will be involved. Officials from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform are to travel to Lisbon next week when I expect that the text of an agreement on Ireland's participation will be finalised.

I mentioned earlier the support which has been forthcoming from the local community in west Cork. It is important to stress that, as well as international intelligence, there is obviously a key role for people in coastal areas to report any unusual activities. If people notice unusual objects at sea, underwater or ashore, ships being met by small craft, or vessels operating at night without lights, then they should pass this information on to the appropriate authorities. Both the customs service and the Garda operate coastal alert schemes to encourage this practice.

The subject of this Adjournment matter specifically relates to the interdiction of drugs at sea but we should not overlook the fact that when drugs find their way into the country considerable efforts are made by the Garda to track them down and seize them. For example, between 2004 and 2006 over €40 million worth of cocaine was seized.

P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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That is nothing compared with what was seized yesterday.

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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It is inevitable that an incident of this kind leads to speculation about what attempts there may have been to import drugs in this way which may have been successful and about which the authorities know nothing. Of its nature, that is speculation for which no hard evidence exists, but in 2005 the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated that global seizures of cocaine amounted to 44% of cocaine production.

I have listened carefully to the helpful contribution which Deputies Coveney and Sheehan made during this debate. The events of the past couple of days have underlined the fact that the efforts of all the agencies involved to combat this deadly trade must be relentless. For its part, the Government will continue to provide all the resources that are necessary.