Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 23: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of meetings he has had with senior gardaí in the past two years on the availability of drugs here; his views on the concern that availability is on the increase in almost every county here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2595/09]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I regularly meet with senior Gardaí to keep up to-date with developments in respect of their drug-related operations. Reports on their progress are also made, on a quarterly basis, to the Inter Departmental Group on Drugs, which I chair. Gardaí are also represented on Local and Regional Drugs Tasks Forces. There has been significant success in relation to the supply reduction pillar of the National Drugs Strategy and An Garda Síochána are playing a key role in this regard. Their levels of drugs seizures have been well in excess of the targets set out in the current Strategy and they include a number of significant operations.

The Garda National Drugs Unit (GNDU) is the primary unit within An Garda Síochána charged with responsibility for drug supply law enforcement. The GNDU is supported in its work by officers in the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Criminal Assets Bureau and the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation. In fact, the current chairperson of the National Drugs Strategy Team is a member of GNDU and I liaise with him, as necessary, on a number of issues, including drug supply law enforcement. Furthermore, as the Deputy will appreciate, Gardaí generally deal with drug-related issues as they arise.

At the same time, it must be acknowledged that trade in illicit drugs is a global phenomenon. There has been a sharp increase in the production of heroin in Afghanistan and this has resulted in an increasing supply in Europe. Similarly, production of cocaine continues strongly, with the resultant implications for supply in Europe. Among the recent initiatives at international level is the establishment in May 2007 of the Maritime Analysis and Operational Centre — Narcotics (MAOC-N), based in Lisbon. It is expected that this Centre which involves seven EU countries (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, UK, Netherlands and Ireland), will provide significant benefits in the gathering of intelligence about air and sea routes for drug trafficking via West Africa. The U.S. also has a number of liaison officers attached to the Centre. In fulfilling its role, Ireland is deploying both Garda and Customs personnel to Lisbon.

Finally, the Deputy should note that in the context of the consultation process for the new National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016, my officials and I met with senior officers from the Gardaí. In these discussions, they confirmed their commitment that supply reduction of illicit drugs will remain a priority for them over the coming years and that they will be key players in the roll-out of the relevant actions in the new Strategy. The Deputy should also note that the Gardaí have two representatives on the Steering Group established to oversee the development of the new Strategy. The representatives — along with the others on the Group — will be playing a significant role in the development of the new Strategy over the coming months.

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 26: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on the recent report which showed that Irish 15 year olds demonstrate rates of drunkenness which are well above the international average; the action he will take to tackle this problem within the new national drugs strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2599/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The 2006 Health Behaviour in School aged Children (HBSC) report, to which the Deputy refers, indicated that 29% of Irish 15-year-olds had reported that they had been drunk at least once in the last 30 days. This placed us second among the 9 countries that reported on this item in the survey. I accept that this figure, and the international comparison involved, is a cause for concern.

However, the 2007 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) will give us a much more comprehensive view of alcohol and drug activity among our school children and of where we stand internationally in that regard. This Survey, which is due to be published in March, will also allow us to assess what progress has been made since 2003 when the previous such survey was carried out.

As the Deputy is aware, a Steering Group chaired by my Department, is currently developing proposals on a new National Drugs Strategy, covering the period 2009-2016. The Group is conscious of the need to target alcohol in the context of developing a broader prevention strategy to tackle substance misuse, particularly in relation to under 18 year olds. They are also aware of the potential synergies in the areas of treatment and rehabilitation, especially given the growing evidence of polydrug use and the role of alcohol as a potential "gateway drug". I expect that the Group will finalise its proposals by the end of March and the best approach to bringing greater coherence and co-ordination to alcohol and drugs issues at a policy, planning and operational levels will be among the issues that I will consider in detail at that stage.