Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 8 Jun 1995

Vol. 454 No. 2

Written Answers. - Drugs Problem.

John O'Donoghue

Question:

39 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice if she will seek increased resources for her Department in view of a recent statement on behalf of the Government to the effect that the drugs problem represented a more potent danger to European society than the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War years. [10383/95]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

I am satisfied that the resources now in place are sufficient to enable the Garda to deal with the drugs problem. In Dublin, drug units have been established in each of the city's five Garda divisions and their activities are co-ordinated through the Central Drugs Squad in Harcourt Square. Full-time drugs units now operate in Santry, Cabra, Raheny, Dún Laoghaire, Crumlin, Ballyfermot, Tallaght, Store Street, Pearse Street, Kevin Street and Donnybrook. Outside Dublin, there are drugs units in Cork, Galway and Limerick.

As the Deputy will be aware, the issue of drugs is a matter of the highest priority for me, as Minister for Justice and in this regard I will be bringing detailed and comprehensive proposals before Government very shortly. I can-assure the Deputy that I will see to it that sufficient resources are allocated to ensure the optimum response of the Garda to this most pressing of problems.

As regards the threat posed to European society by drugs, I believe that action must be taken at the European level if we are effectively to tackle the problem and, to this end, the Government is determined to do all it can to have the issue addressed by the European Union as a whole. In this regard, I note the excellent work of the European Drugs Unit, which is based at The Hague, and which operates under the aegis of the Council of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers as established by Title 6 of the Maastricht Treaty.