David Norris (Independent)

I hope it will be as flexible as Senator Walsh's minute. The problem of drunkenness needs to be looked at. The Minister needs to look at the licensing laws because they are far too vague. I complained about licensing laws and I got into severe trouble, but the Minister knows every huckster's shop in this town is stuffed to the roof with vodka.

I wish to raise one other matter — I have a flexible minute remaining — and that is the issue of drugs. Everyone is looking for a solution to the drugs problem. There is one, but it is a difficult one to take. The Minister will definitely not agree with me on this, given what he has said so far. I believe it has got to be tackled at an international level. It will not be helped by the fact that large countries such as the United States have been clearly involved in massive narcotics trafficking in order to fund the undermining of democratically elected regimes, such as in Nicaragua where the Contras were massively funded by narcotics trafficking in which the Americans were openly involved. Let us look at the situation in Uzbekistan where the US and Britain turn a blind eye to the enormous narcotics traffic under the aegis of President Karimov. If international agreement could be obtained it would help to legalise, licence and control it. This would ensure that crime levels would drop massively, addicts would be less prone to die because they would get a quality controlled substance, life would be better all around and the godfathers would be wiped out because what is driving this is the financial incentive.

We found a tonne of cannabis in Westmeath or somewhere, but so what? It simply has not stemmed the tide of drugs; it does not work. All it does is drive up the cost of drugs and the guns come in because of this. One has to look at the whole issue of drugs internationally. With the best will in the world one will never win the alleged war on drugs. It is as specious as the war on terror. One has to understand the enemy rather than denounce it and be prepared to take unpopular steps. There are senior police officers all over Europe who will say exactly the same. Ireland cannot do it on its own. These discussions should start now if we are really serious. We know the practice on the streets already.