Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and compliment him on his work in this difficult area. I was chairman of the national drugs advisory committee in the Department of Health from 1987 to 1989 and found it one of the most difficult portfolios with which to deal. At that time Dublin, in particular, faced the same plight. There were difficulties with heroin, cocaine, marijuana and every other type of drug. The situation has not improved — in fact, I believe it has worsened. The problem has now spread nationwide.

At the time, we introduced a needle exchange scheme, which was regarded as relatively revolutionary. We were seen as condoning intravenous drug taking but the reason we brought in the scheme was to try to reduce the level and spread of HIV and AIDS. That was our main policy at the time. Times have changed but at that time, it took a certain amount of political strength to implement the initiative because there were objections from many people who felt we were encouraging drug taking. Drug rehabilitation facilities are widespread and they try to wean people away from drugs. That policy is being pursued by the Minister of State whose Department is much better funded than it was in the past.

What solutions exist to this difficult problem? Some people have called for the legalisation of marijuana and other such drugs but if we do that, we will only introduce more people to drug taking. It is difficult to wean people off cigarettes. Nicotine is a strong drug — in fact, it is regarded as even stronger than some of the prohibited drugs. It is doubtful whether nicotine would be legalised today. I think Sir Walter Raleigh, who brought it into Europe, is responsible for more mass murders than Hitler. He did not bring anything good to Europe. By bringing nicotine to Europe, he has caused much death and destruction.

The Minister of State outlined the work he is undertaking. I do not know if any new initiatives can be introduced. There should be greater surveillance of ports. Drugs must come in by air or sea. The amount of drugs detected is only a small proportion of the amount of illegal drugs being imported into this country. We should redouble our efforts in respect of the clamp down on drug imports. There must be some method to inspect cargoes, whether coming through Rosslare, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin Port, the airports or Northern Ireland. There was even a fear that small aeroplanes could drop drugs in rural areas. Many people heard aeroplanes fly overhead at night and saw fires lit in bogs and locations around the countryside to allow for the importation of drugs in that way. There is also the question of mules bringing cocaine into Ireland in their bodies.

There are drugs in Mountjoy Prison. How can drugs get into an area which is under supervision? The same applies to many other prisons. Apparently, Castlerea Prison has no difficulty with drugs and there seems to be some control in that regard. The prison in Spike Island, which I inspected, had a drug problem. There is probably a drug problem in Cork and Portlaoise jails.

The Minister of State and the local drugs task forces are working well. There is great concern in rural areas about the spread of drugs, as I amsure there is in the Leas-Chathaoirleach's constituency. Many years ago people in rural areas had no access to speed, marijuana, cocaine or to other drugs. Unfortunately, those drugs are more widely available than in the past. We must continue our clamp down on the importation of drugs and on the distributors, the multi-millionaires who are creating havoc for young people. Many young people have been introduced to drug taking by these people who sell drugs near schools, in rural areas and in towns. I would show no mercy to them and no prison sentence is long enough for those who bring in drugs to distribute them to and destroy young people. I encourage the Minister of State and his Department to take whatever action is necessary to bring in additional legislation in this area, if required.

When I was Minister of State in the Department of Health and Children, I visited the inner city and met people there. Most asked that the retention drugs be made available to them in rehabilitation centres. Many of those people would have become hooked on those drugs as well but at least it was a recognition of the problem. If we can bring people into treatment centres, we can respond to them.

Surveillance is important given the number of people selling drugs. The Garda Síochána is doing an excellent job to try to bring people to trial and to have them prosecuted. However, it is difficult because there is much secrecy among those who buy drugs as they will not expose the sellers. There is fear throughout this city given the number of guns around. There have been many murders in the city related to some of these drug barons.

I wish the Minister of State well in his work. It is a difficult task because people are hooked on drugs, which are responsible for most of the crime in this city, including robberies by those who need to get money to buy the drugs the barons are bringing in from abroad. We looked at educating young people but there was a concern that if we brought drugs into schools to show them to students, we would be making them aware of drug taking. It is difficult to know how best to educate young people in respect of drugs, which are so addictive. The Minister of State should continue his work and I am delighted he is being well resourced as this is becoming a rural as well as an urban problem.