James Bannon (Fine Gael)

Will these prove to be empty words yet again? Real power and real action need the necessary executive budgets to bring them to fruition. As we know this Government is bordering on bankruptcy. The Minister of State's Department stated: "The Government is committed to a national drugs strategy." The statistics speak for themselves. A 2002 UN report estimates that 9.4% of Irish people aged 15 years and over took cannabis at least once a year, ranking Ireland joint first with the UK on a list of 23 western European countries in terms of prevalence. Ireland ranks ahead of all countries, including the UK, in terms of the use of amphetamines, otherwise known as speed and ecstasy, with prevalence rates of 2.4% and 2.6% respectively. On cocaine, Ireland ranks third, with a prevalence rate of 1.3%. On opiates, including heroin, it ranks joint tenth, with a prevalence rate of 0.3%. The national drugs strategy is great in theory but lacks any basis in effect or preventive action. The Government is totally unable to deal with the drugs problem or the attendant growth in organised crime. Contrary to popular belief, organised crime is not confined to Limerick, and many in our capital city live in deadly fear of the crime barons. We have similar problems in all our towns in the midlands. It is common knowledge that Dublin gangs are targeting surrounding rural areas on nightly raids. I have evidence of that, not merely from my own county, but my own parish.