Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps being taken to determine the full extent of the activities of organised criminal gangs based here, overseas and in prison with a view to putting in place measures likely to bring to an end the ongoing growth of the illegal drug trade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32954/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda Authorities that there are two categories of organised crime groups operating in this jurisdiction. The first category consists of groups that are well established and tightly structured and are involved in drug trafficking, armed robbery and firearms offences. The second category involves groups whose activities are characterised by less cohesive group structures and whose criminal activities are mainly confined to Ireland. The membership of organised crime gangs tends to be fluid and the nature of criminal activity is such that offences committed by members of gangs may or may not be connected with the individual's membership of such gangs.

An Garda Síochána utilises intelligence-led operations to target organised crime groups on an ongoing basis. All available intelligence is fully analysed and used in the strategic deployment of both local and specialised operational Garda units to target particular groups. A large proportion of organised criminal activity is associated with the illicit drugs trade. Organised Crime is being targeted on a number of fronts, involving uniform and plain-clothes Gardaí overtly and covertly disrupting known criminals in the course of criminal activities. The profiles of the personnel involved in criminal groups are continually updated. Their members, operating methods, criminal interests and financial assets are likewise proactively targeted through intelligence-led operations, primarily undertaken by specialist units of An Garda Síochána, under the remit of the Assistant Commissioner, National Support Services. A number of organised crime groups have been targeted in this manner recently, with firearms being recovered and drugs seized resulting in a number of people from these organised groups being prosecuted and convicted before the Courts.

An Garda Síochána maintains liaison with other law enforcement agencies throughout Europe, and elsewhere, exchanging information and intelligence on Irish criminals living abroad. This ongoing liaison has led to a number of successful joint operations, targeting attempted importations of drugs and firearms, resulting in a number of significant arrests here and in other jurisdictions. Where intelligence, supported by evidence, is available law enforcement agencies in other Jurisdictions put operations in place, as appropriate, to prevent and detect such criminality.

Measures have been put in place to deal with serious crime including Operation Anvil which commenced in May 2005 in the Dublin Metropolitan Region and was extended countrywide in 2006. The primary focus of Operation Anvil is the disruption of serious and organised criminal activity. In this regard Operation Anvil consists of intelligence-led targeted operations on the one hand, and an increased overt visible Garda presence on the other. The Garda Commissioner has publicly re-affirmed his absolute commitment to the objectives of Operation Anvil, which is but one tool used by members of An Garda Síochána to combat crime.

Multi-agency approaches have been, and continue to be used where all of the National Units from National Support Services i.e. the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and the Garda Technical Bureau are used to combat serious crime. These Units are also supported by the Security and Intelligence Section which assists with intelligence briefings and the provision of timely information. The Criminal Assets Bureau is being actively utilised to identify and target funds accumulated by criminals in order to seize such assets and to deprive them of the profits of their criminal activity. A dedicated unit within the Garda National Drugs Unit has been established to liaise with the Criminal Assets Bureau to particularly target those criminals and criminal groupings believed to be deriving profits and assets from drug-related criminal activity.

This integrated approach adopts best practice in implementing a coordinated use of Garda resources and using available criminal legislation to its fullest extent. Operations are reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure their effectiveness. In addition, An Garda Síochána currently has a number of liaison officers on secondment to other jurisdictions, and to international bodies such as Interpol and Europol. These officers act as a conduit for information to pass between law enforcement agencies to ensure that national borders are not, and cannot, be used by criminals as a means of frustrating the efforts of law enforcement agencies.

As I am sure the Deputy appreciates, drug misuse remains one of the most complex social ills faced globally. While our drug law enforcement response is of course a vital feature of our overall response in addressing the issue, we cannot just look at the issue from a supply reduction perspective only. We must examine the drugs problem in the wider context in which it takes place and take cognisance of the fact that the demand for and the use of illegal drugs is what fuels the drugs trade. The measures that we have in place to address the problem must take account of this.

The Government remains resolutely committed to tackling the problem through our current National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. The National Drugs Strategy addresses the problem under pillar headings of education and prevention, supply reduction, treatment and rehabilitation and research and is firmly founded on the principle that drug misuse needs to be addressed in an integrated manner across these headings through a cooperative approach involving the statutory, community and voluntary treatment sectors. The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, under the stewardship of my colleague and Minister of State Mr. John Curran, T.D., is the lead Government Department in co-ordinating the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy and is currently overseeing the process of developing our new Strategy for the years 2009 to 2016. This work which involves a wide-ranging consultative process, and in which my Department is actively participating, will fully inform the development of our new Strategy.

My Department's remit in this area, while not exclusively, lies primarily in the area of drug supply reduction. Drug law enforcement remains a key feature of the Government's drug policy framework. I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to keep the measures for tackling all forms of drug trafficking under review. The enforcement of the law relating to drugs continues to be a key element in the Government's policing priorities and this is reflected in An Garda Síochána's Policing Plan for 2008.