Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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659. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of simple possession searches for drugs undertaken in each Garda division for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024; the number of drugs sale and supply searches undertaken in each Garda Division for 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37706/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Tackling drug dealing and organised criminal activity remains a top priority for the Government and my Department. An Garda Síochána continues to implement Operation Tara across the country, which focuses on disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking networks at all levels.

Significant resources have been committed to this effort, including an unprecedented allocation of over €2.48 billion to An Garda Síochána in Budget 2025.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that there is only one structured incident type available on the PULSE system in relation to drug-related searches – Search under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977/1984.

This incident type includes searches for both simple possession of drugs and possession for sale or supply. It is not possible to disaggregate the figures, as these categories are not recorded separately on the Garda system.

A breakdown of the number of searches recorded under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977/1984 by Garda Division for years 2022, 2023 and 2024 is provided in the table at the link below.

I am further informed that the Central Statistics Office (CSO) publishes recorded crime data at Garda Division level, including incidents of possession of drugs for sale or supply, covering the period from Q1 2023 to Q1 2025. This information is available on the CSO website: data.cso.ie/