Results 1-20 of 26 for drugs segment:8745362

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Mr. Drew Harris: If I might say, very often drug dealing at a local level is actually managed through the couriering of single items of drugs. We are very conscious of the overall national approach to drugs. We believe in a health approach for those who are addicted to drugs, but at the same time, there is a huge criminal enterprise around the movement of huge amounts of drugs in our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Mr. Drew Harris: I set up the drug units in late 2019 and into 2020. We did not have divisional drug units before that. That was in part our effort to try to combat local, mid-range dealers and street dealing in local areas. I am not sure about the situation in respect of the drugs unit in Cavan, but it is for the chief to make his bid into HR. Ms McMahon to my right here makes the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

John McGuinness: ...in place to service those areas? I know people, particularly elderly people, who live in fear because of what is going on in rural Ireland. Will the Minister address that with a policy? The drug scene down the country - I am sure it is the same as Dublin or anywhere else - is completely out of control. Drugs are being sold from houses and on street corners. They are being peddled...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Mr. Drew Harris: -----in the divisions and allow then for lateral movement into those specialised units. We are committed to that. The difficulty around drugs for us is that there is a huge amount of cocaine being produced and being moved across into Europe. We are very conscious that Ireland is a target for these transnational organised crime groups. I think the seizures we are making...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

...on some of those issues. In regard to Laytown, that is on the programme for a rebuild. We have a specific operation in place to support families in terms of intimidation around so-called drugs debts. We place a big emphasis on that both at divisional and national level in terms of detecting those involved in such intimidation. The offence of drug intimidation does not exist on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Mr. Drew Harris: No, I believe in the drug units in terms of the intelligence and the successes they have on the local level. I have to couple that with the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, and the local assessments that are done in respect of individuals' proceeds of crime and then using CAB not just for the Mr. Bigs, but also pursuing those whose income from drug dealing on a local level is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: ...about. One is the number of resignations from the force that we have and how that feeds into the issue of morale. I also want to talk about the number of charges that are being brought for possession of drugs for personal use and about community gardaí. On community gardaí, there is a feeling, perception or otherwise that the community Garda service is being squeezed or that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: ...what Deputy Daly said about people buying out their pensions? I ask the Minister to speak to the issue of morale. The second issue relates to the number of people charged this year for the possession of drugs for their own personal use. I am going to keep raising this as long as I have breath in my body. The figure for 2023 is 6,396 but, in 2017, that number was 3,692. We have seen...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Can I get a response on the issue I raised about drugs, possession for personal use and the injecting facility?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Mr. Drew Harris: We have made a huge investment in respect of dealing with street-level drug dealing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Niamh Smyth: But is it the Commissioner's intention to still have these drugs units-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am conscious of time. I would appreciate if I could get a quick answer on drugs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Really? Is the Minister putting together legislation in advance of the report of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

John McGuinness: ...the local chief has the staff and the capability and actively goes after those who are criminally of interest to the force and that are known to be carrying out activities around the movement of drugs. That is why I am here. The drugs issue in the south east is horrendous. Any class of drug can be bought on any street corner now, in most small villages throughout the country. That is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: ...in the development of a health-led approach that An Garda Síochána would apply. We are waiting for legal advice about a number of elements of that. Essentially, when people are caught with drugs for personal use, the case would be approached in a different way, but at the same time we need to ensure-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: ...would help them police open injecting in the city centre. Mr. Harris’s words carry much weight, so not to be fulsome in his support of the injecting facility drags down the entire agenda of changing drugs policy and being more humane.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Niamh Smyth: ...sale and supply of illegal substances. He also referred to the almost 7,500 applicants to fill operational specialist support roles. I want to ask the Commissioner specifically about specialised drugs units. I refer to the joint policing committee meetings that are held in Cavan-Monaghan and that I attend. I know the Commissioner attends such meetings. He has been on the ground and has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Sharon Keogan: ...that we need there on the coast. The current one is in the middle of a housing estate and is totally unsuitable for the needs of the growing population on the east coast. In regard to drug intimidation supports for families, many young fellows, and these days many young women, and their families are in huge debt because of drug dealing. A great deal of intimidation is going on....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

...the security of the Irish State. We have prioritised the targeting of national and transnational crime groupings that wreak havoc on our communities through the sale and supply of illegal drugs. We have also enhanced our capabilities with national, regional and international partnerships to combat the trade in illegal drugs. In part we have done this through the expansion of our Garda...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Mr. Drew Harris: The injecting facility is a part of public policy on how to deal with the problem of drugs in society. We are wholeheartedly behind all of that policy. If it includes injecting centres, of course we are behind it, but it is also right for us to say that there are down sides. We will have to manage the environs of that area. We will undoubtedly get complaints about the...