Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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62. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update on the work of her Department in tackling drug-related intimidation and reporting. [52410/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government is acutely aware of the substantial and ongoing damage that drug dealing and drug-related intimidation has on communities across the country. Organised criminal activity, including drug dealing, represents a serious threat to community safety.

An Garda Síochána continues to target those involved in the sale and supply of illegal drugs including through Operation Tara which has a strong focus on tackling street-level dealing throughout rural and urban Ireland.

The focus of this Operation is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks at all levels - international, national and local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local street level dealing and sale and supply of controlled drugs.

Recent successes of Operation Tara include the seizure of €465,000 worth of cannabis in Ballygar, Co. Galway on 7 September and the seizure of €360,000 worth of cannabis in Pollerton, Co. Carlow on 2 October.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Commissioner tasked an Inspector in every Garda Division to respond to the issue of drug-related intimidation. There are currently thirty nominated Garda Inspectors appointed to act as liaison officers for the Drug-Related Intimidation Reporting Programme, covering each Garda Division.

Information in relation to the Drug-Related Intimidation Reporting Programme and a list of the nominated Inspectors countrywide is available on the Garda Website. This programme has been developed to respond to the needs of drug users and family members experiencing drug related intimidation. In dealing with any complaint of drug-related intimidation or advice sought in relation to this issue, An Garda Síochána will do so with the utmost safety in order to afford the person or family subject to the threat of the best level of security, advice and support which can be offered.

An annual conference on the Drug-Related Intimidation Reporting Programme, coordinated by the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau, took place in August 2022 and was attended by nominated Inspectors, local and Regional Drugs and Alcohol Task Force representatives. In addition, An Garda Síochána presented on the subject of Drug Related Intimidation to the Annual Conference of the Joint Policing Committees organised by the Policing Authority in September 2022.

An Garda Síochána are committed to tackling the supply of drugs at all levels and they continue to work with joint policing committees, both at regional and city level. Community policing forums are based locally in individual Garda districts and sub-districts and Joint Policing Committees address the issue of drugs and drug-related intimidation from the lower level to the most serious level. The North Inner City Dublin Local Community Safety Partnership pilot is also exploring utilising a drug related intimidation programme as part of its work.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health and the National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan T.D., launched the Drug Related Intimidation and Violence Engagement (DRIVE) Report in November 2021. DRIVE is a multi-agency response to Drug Related Intimidation, recognising the additional challenges arising from drug-related intimidation in disadvantaged communities.

Membership of the DRIVE Oversight Committee is comprised of representatives from An Garda Síochána, Regional and Local Drug & Alcohol Task Forces, HSE Social Inclusion, Probation Service, family support and the Community & the Voluntary sector.