Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Jan 1994

Vol. 437 No. 6

Written Answers. - Illegal Drugs.

Peter Barry

Question:

266 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Justice the amount and value of illegal drugs seized and captured in Cork in each of the last five years; the number of people charged and convicted; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn)

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the number of persons charged and convicted of drugs related offences and the amount and types of drugs seized in Cork (Cork East and Cork West Divisions) from 1989 to 1992 inclusive, is set out in the following tabular statement. Figures for 1993 are not yet available.

Amount and type of drugs seized

	1989	1990	1991	1992
Cannabis Resin	529.9 gm	1.726 kg	702.5 kg	354.8 kg
Cannabis Herb (gms)	32.5	80.0	126.0	36.2
Cannabis plants (No.)	—	65	—	74
LSD (Tabs)	158	60	710	247
Cocaine (kg)	2	—	—	—
Ecstasy (Tabs)	—	—	15	166
Psilocin (gms)	—	—	—	2.0
Narcotic Analgesics (Tabs)	—	—	—	1,045

No. of persons charged and convicted in each of the years 1989 to 1992

	Persons charged	Persons convicted
1989	186	161
1990	371	282
1991	439	348
1992	788	572

Because of the number of variable factors involved in the illegal sale of drugs, the street value of drugs seized can only be estimated very roughly, if at all. It would not therefore be possible to give an accurate value for those drugs seized.

I would like to assure the House that the drugs problem is continuing to receive priority attention from a law enforcement point of view. The Garda authorities have informed me that they monitor very carefully the situation in Cork and elsewhere and that they constantly review and adapt their strategies to deal with the drug problem.