Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform his views on an opinion reportedly expressed by the Garda that the use of crystal meth is confined to foreign nationals; and the steps he will take to address this drug. [35394/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Crystal meth is a form of methamphetamine and as such is a controlled drug under schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 and 1984. As such, it is subject to stringent controls. It has no medicinal use and cannot be prescribed by doctors, sold or distributed and it is also illegal to possess the drug. The chemicals used to produce the drug are strictly controlled and monitored under both EU and national regulations.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the misuse of methamphetamine/methylamphetamine ('crystal meth') has never been exclusively confined to foreign nationals. However, in 2009 there were only 27 cases of methamphetamine recorded at the Forensic Science Laboratory, the majority of which primarily involved Eastern European nationals. In 2007, the Garda National Drugs Unit hosted an international seminar, under the EU-funded AGIS Programme, to examine the potential threat posed by methamphetamine within the European Union. Among the findings of that seminar were that the drug is not currently regarded as one of the more prolific misused drugs in Ireland and that the very real dangers associated with this drug are enough of a deterrent for most users. Nonetheless, I am assured by the Garda authorities that the Garda National Drugs Unit, as part of its national remit, and in liaison with its European counterparts, will continue to closely monitor the availability of the drug within this jurisdiction, based on an on-going analysis of intelligence and drug-seizure data.