Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle as an deis a thabhairt dom labhairt faoin ábhar seo anocht. Táim an-sásta an tAire a fheiceáil anseo. I raise with him the growing level of extortion with violence and threats by drug gangs in County Louth. They are demanding that the families of those they claim owe them money now pay the alleged debt. I am told by party colleagues that this is also a serious problem in Dublin and elsewhere. Last week I visited a family in County Louth who were living in terror. In the space of six months they had paid a drug gang a total of €3,700 to pay debts allegedly owed by their son. The drug gang has targeted the family in a sustained campaign of intimidation, threats and attempted extortion. It is now demanding a further €8,000. However, the family are demonstrating remarkable courage in the face of threats and standing firm by rejecting the drug gang's latest demand. When I visited their home, clearly they were very anxious and their fears were well founded. Over St. Patrick's weekend, their home was petrol bombed while they slept in their beds. Luckily, the impact of the bomb breaking a window woke the family who extinguished the fire before anyone was hurt. They are working closely with An Garda Síochána and have praised gardaí highly.

Other families have also been targeted and other homes attacked. Cars have been destroyed, while families have fled their homes. Last Friday I spoke to the chief superintendent of the Louth division. I commend An Garda Síochána on its actions and efforts to date. Unfortunately, it is starved of the resources it needs to deal with this threat. During my last meeting in Dundalk Garda station in January the officers informed me that the Louth drug crime unit was up and running, with three extra staff in Dundalk and five in Drogheda. While that is a good start and something for which we have campaigned and lobbied for some time, the resources are still far too low to deal with a problem of this scale. Other cases have come through my office and I have kept the Garda informed of all of them. No doubt, there are many more of which I am not aware.

Most of this intimidation can be traced to two drug gangs in Drogheda where local families are subjected to similar threats over drug debts allegedly owed by family members. I commend the neighbours and friends of the family I visited. I commend the family on taking the stand they have. It is no mean thing to do. It demands huge courage to stand up to these thugs. While the people of County Louth will not be intimidated by these gangsters, it should not be left to the community and An Garda Síochána. Does the Minister agree that the State has a duty to support and protect the family in question? Will he look urgently at the provision of additional resources for the Louth division of An Garda Síochána to support the work of its drug unit? Will he consider introducing or supporting legislation to ensure proof of identity will be required in the purchase of mobile phones? As he is well aware, mobile phones are used in the illegal drugs trade and many of the threats issued to the family being victimised in this case are made by mobile phone. I ask the Minister to imagine what would have happened had they not been alerted to the fact that the petrol bomb had been thrown. I ask him to imagine the case had members of the family been killed in that attack. We would be treating it as a national crisis. Will the Minister support the family and those standing against the drug gangs and ensure An Garda Síochána will have all the support it requires?

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As the House will be aware, both the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, and I have addressed both Houses on the situation in County Louth in recent months. The Minister of State updated the Seanad in February on the steps being taken by An Garda Síochána to neutralise the ongoing feud there. My party colleague, Deputy O'Dowd, has also been monitoring the situation closely. As the Deputy will be aware, I visited Drogheda Garda station last December when I was very impressed by the robust response that had been put in place by the Garda authorities in the region. There is a dedicated policing operation in place, Operation Stratus, which specifically targets the ongoing feud in the Drogheda area. The operation consists of high visibility patrols and check points, days of action and covert policing initiatives to target specific individuals. These operations are supplemented by personnel from the regional armed support unit, the drug units and divisional road policing units and have resulted in the seizure of considerable amounts of cash, firearms and controlled drugs. The Garda will continue to tackle this problem head on to ensure the safety of all citizens in County Louth.

Drug related intimidation is an extremely serious issue which impacts greatly on communities and society as a whole but especially families. I am advised that An Garda Síochána has strict policies and procedures in place to deal with the issue of drug related intimidation and tackles the supply of drugs by supporting local communities through various preventative and detection initiatives, including engagement with local and regional drug and alcohol task forces, the Garda youth diversion programme and other projects, the Garda schools programme, the joint policing committees and community policing fora.

I am further advised by the Garda authorities that the drug related intimidation reporting programme has been implemented nationally since 2013. An inspector has been nominated in every Garda division throughout the country, including County Louth, to act as the single point of contact as part of the inspector's portfolio in each division. These inspectors are at management level within An Garda Síochána and have great expertise, knowledge and vast experience. They will liaise directly with the local superintendent on each individual case. As part of the implementation process, all regional assistant commissioners nationally and their senior management teams have been briefed on An Garda Síochána’s responsibilities and commitments under the national drugs strategy in the context of drug related intimidation and the drug related intimidation reporting programme.

For its part, the Government has provided the Garda Commissioner with an additional €100 million in 2019, bringing his total budget to almost €1.8 billion. This substantial investment will allow the accelerated recruitment programme to continue in tandem with the deployment of new and leading edge technology to support front-line gardaí in carrying out their work of delivering a visible, effective and responsive police service to communities across all Garda divisions, including the Louth division, in 2019 and future years. I will be very clear. The intimidation outlined by the Deputy will not be allowed to continue. Gardaí in County Louth are tackling this issue head-on and will continue to bring those engaged in any illegal activity to justice.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The family have been told to pay an extra €8,000 or they will be killed. Their home is barricaded in a makeshift way. They are receiving the support and attention of An Garda Síochána, on which they commend it. They also have the support of their neighbours. The selling, distribution and use of drugs present a major problem in our society. Some addicts engage in criminality to raise the money needed to feed their habit and once they are hooked, they are used by gangs in a scurrilous, cynical and clinical way. There is a need for a well resourced, an holistic and a multi-agency approach. It would bring all stakeholders together, including in the community and the voluntary sector, as well as the Garda and other agencies, to tackle the scourge of drugs and the associated health and criminal issues.

I have submitted a number of parliamentary questions about the ongoing evaluation of the drug related intimidation reporting programme by An Garda Síochána and the work of the family addiction support network. The programme was operational under the 2009 to 2016 national drug and alcohol strategy. The current strategy - Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery - runs from 2017 to 2025. Last year the Minister told me that the evaluation would be completed by the end of 2018. As we are now well into 2019, has is it been completed? If it has, when will it be published? What lessons are drawn from it? Is the drug related intimidation reporting programme working? An Garda Síochána is the lead agency in the campaign against illegal drugs and the people at the coal face are doing their best, but does the Minister accept that they need him to resource them financially and draw lessons from the evaluations?

It is unique for the family to take this stand. I know many families who will not make it and do not blame them. Are we going to let the family down?

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge the seriousness of the issue and the facts outlined by the Deputy. I do not disagree with them. When dealing with any complaint of drug related intimidation An Garda Síochána makes sure to afford the person or family who may be subject to threats the best level of advice, support, guidance and security. The confidentiality and security of the persons concerned are paramount for An Garda Síochána when dealing with reports under the drug related intimidation reporting programme. In conjunction with the national family support network, An Garda Síochána has hosted a seminar on this theme specifically for the divisional inspectors involved in the drug related intimidation reporting programme. Other Garda personnel were also in attendance, including Garda personnel from County Louth. While liaison within and between regional and local Garda management teams is ongoing, the seminars and training days provide an appropriate platform and opportunity to bring relevant personnel together for sessions that might be particularly focused which, in turn, inform the reporting programme.

On recent criminal activity in County Louth, An Garda Síochána has put in place a policing operation to prevent, detect and mitigate any further escalation of violence between the groups involved. The Deputy referred to a multi-agency programme. I agree and liaison is ongoing with the appropriate stakeholders, including the local authorities, Tusla and the HSE. Every Member wishes them well in their endeavours. I want this issue to be resolved. The Garda will make every effort to ensure issues such as those outlined by the Deputy are brought to a halt and that those responsible for criminal activity, be it extortion, intimidation, threats or otherwise, will be brought to justice.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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On a point of order, I asked the Minister if the evaluation of the drug related intimidation reporting programme by An Garda Síochána had concluded. He told me last year that it would be concluded.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is not a point of order.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister did not answer the question.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I will ask the Minister to correspond with the Deputy.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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There is ongoing evaluation. On reaching conclusions or otherwise, I will communicate with the Deputy as soon as possible after this debate.