Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Kildare Nationaliston 14 May 2001 carried an article that stated, "Widespread availability of drugs in rural Ireland is one of the most frightening developments of recent years." That was 19 years ago. Since then, availability has increased, and now I sincerely believe the supply and use of drugs in rural Ireland has become an epidemic. When I say "rural Ireland", I do not just mean the major towns in the counties; I mean a penetration right into rural areas. In most pubs in rural Ireland one will find some kind of drug activity. This is of enormous concern. The reason I believe this is happening is that there are far too few drugs arrests in rural Ireland and, when arrests are made, the sanctions are too lenient, with people often just getting off with supplying drugs. There are various reasons this happens. Cocaine is the drug of choice. Instead of people going into a pub and having a couple of vodka and tonics, a glass of wine, a couple of pints or whatever it may be, they fill up on cocaine at the weekends. It is a serious problem for young people, older people and parents. We have spent more than 100 hours on the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill in this House but these are the types of issues we need to discuss. I want the Minister for Justice and Equality to come before the House to discuss rural crime and the drugs aspect to it.

On the wider issue of rural crime, I commend my colleague, Deputy Ó Laoghaire, who produced a document on tackling rural crime. As he states in the document, people deserve to be safe in their communities but, unfortunately, in recent times, due to the reduction in Garda visibility and increases in certain crimes, many do not and they feel isolated and vulnerable. We need to tackle crime in rural areas, but the cutbacks in policing and Garda numbers, stations and resources mean that families and elderly people feel isolated and in danger. Deputy Ó Laoghaire has come up with a number of recommendations to tackle rural crime, including an increase in the number serving in the force to more than 16,000; a request for 550 civilian staff per annum to free gardaí from office work; a reform of the joint policing committees, JPCs, to give them more powers to give local communities more influence on policing; the putting in place of restorative justice schemes; and access to broadband in all Garda stations. There are many recommendations in the document. I ask that the Minister come before the House to discuss the issue of rural crime and drugs in rural Ireland in a meaningful way.