Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if sufficient Garda personnel is dedicated to combating drugs, gun crime, money laundering, extortion or racketeering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29973/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the focus on combating illegal drugs, gun crime and money laundering, extortion or racketeering comprises both direct and indirect input.

With regard to illegal drugs, the most notable resources are the Garda national drugs unit, divisional and district drug units, as well as the drug section within the Forensic Science Laboratory. All of these resources are specifically focused on addressing drug trafficking and distribution within society.

I am further informed that community policing units, particularly those units operating in areas of concentrated drug use, also play a significant role in curbing the supply of drugs at a community level.

In terms of preventing the use of drugs, the Garda Síochána impacts on this strategy in a number of ways which include: participation on the various national fora, including the national drugs strategy team, the national advisory committee on drugs and the 14 local and ten regional drugs task forces; the Garda schools programme delivered to all primary schools, a distinct module of which focuses on substance usage; 64 diversionary projects which target at-risk young people, many of whom have substance usage issues; 87 juvenile liaison officers who specifically work with young people who have come in contact with the criminal justice system for a variety of reasons, including substance usage; and increasing public awareness of substance usage, including numerous presentations to community, voluntary and residential groups by drug unit personnel and input to the current national drug awareness campaign.

Garda management states that personnel attached to the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation are involved in combating money laundering activity. Identified targets are investigated, sometimes engaging other national units, such as the Criminal Assets Bureau, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the national surveillance unit and the national criminal intelligence unit. Similarly, the primary Garda units deployed in countering gun crime and extortion or racketeering are the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the special detective unit and the Criminal Assets Bureau. Local Garda units often engage with these specialist units as required.

Garda management also states that the issue of the adequacy of resources to meet the demands is a perennial one. Nonetheless, there are a considerable proportion of Garda resources addressing the complex social phenomenon of substance abuse. Garda resources, together with overall policing arrangements and operational strategy, are continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of Garda resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to the general public.

Regarding Garda resources generally, the accelerated recruitment campaign to reach a record force strength of 14,000, in line with the commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government, is fully on target. This will lead to a combined strength of both attested gardaí and recruits in training of 14,000 by the end of 2006. The Garda Commissioner will now draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources and in this context the needs of the Garda Síochána in addressing serious crime will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda regions throughout the country.