Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I was in the Department of Health and Children. Many of its senior officials are here today and are very welcome. I know the expertise it has, but if people have to work day and night to resolve this matter, so be it. I ask the Minister of State to give it priority. This House will pass a Bill in a week or less. I accept the complications and difficulties.

I again refer to Ms Kenny who knows the situation. When I was chairman of the National Advisory Committee on Drugs we decided to give out needles, which was a major decision at the time. We provided a needle exchange programme which was debated at the time because it was seen to encourage the use of drugs. We were not encouraging the use of drugs, we were preventing the spread of AIDS, which was part of our responsibility. We introduced a methadone programme which was used throughout the country and has been successful to some extent. I do not doubt the sincerity of the Minister of State in this regard and I know he has the full support of the Government. He also has other responsibilities. No issue which has arisen in the past number of months or year is more immediate than this one.

These head shops are spreading like wildfire. The public in the town of Roscommon are so enraged they are holding a vigil around the clock outside the shop to try to prevent people from going into it. The shop is using tactics such as opening for long hours. To add to that, there is a circular in the town stating another shop is opening which will provide other services.

We have had floods, bad weather and frost and we are now dealing with the issue of legal drugs coming into rural towns. I refer to Roscommon because I know it, but Senator Wilson referred to Cavan and the Leas-Chathaoirleach may be aware of the situation in Castlebar. They are all over Ireland. One operator, who I will not name because-----