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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Mar 2001

Vol. 533 No. 4

Priority Questions. - Naval Service Operations.

Billy Timmins

Question:

24 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Defence the number of drug-related operations in which the Naval Service was directly involved in 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9081/01]

The Naval Service is the State's principal sea-going agency and is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. It is equipped with a total of eight vessels comprising one helicopter carrying vessel, five offshore patrol vessels and two coastal patrol vessels. The newest patrol vessel, the L.E. Róisín, was commissioned on 15 December, 1999 and became operational immediately afterwards.

The main day to day role of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. The Service is tasked with patrolling all Irish waters from the shoreline to the outer limits of the exclusive economic zone. These patrols are carried out on a regular and frequent basis and are directed to all areas of Irish waters as necessary. Fishery protection patrols are complemented by assistance provided by the Air Corps in the form of aerial surveillance by the two Casa maritime patrol aircraft. Fishery protection activity accounts for more than 90% of all Naval Service patrol time. However, as the need arises, Naval Service vessels may be deployed to other duties such as search and rescue, aid to the civil power, drug interdiction operations and assistance with pollution control.

Responsibility for the prevention of the illegal importation of drugs rests primarily with the Garda Síochána and the Revenue Commissioners. While the main day to day role of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union, Government measures to improve law enforcement in relation to drugs, including the establishment, in 1993, of a joint task force involving the Garda, the Customs service and the Naval Service, have helped to maximise the effective use of Naval Service resources in combating the illegal importation of drugs.

During the course of routine patrols Naval Service vessels may be deployed to drug interdiction operations. Naval Service vessels are specifically tasked from time to time to carry out drug search and interdiction operations in aid of the civil authorities. While Naval Service personnel are designated as enforcement officers under the Criminal Justice Act, 1994, in practice the Naval Service operates under the direction of the joint task force where measures to combat the importation of illegal drugs are concerned and during 2000 the Naval Service was directly involved in 16 drug related operations under the auspices of the joint task force.

Would the Minister agree that the Irish coast is a major trans-shipment area for the importation of drugs? Unfortunately this is a trend that will grow. In 1999 the Naval Service was involved in 11 drug related operations and the Minister stated in his reply that they were involved in 16 last year. That is a 50% increase. Will the Minister confirm that the Naval Service has the power to intercede while on routine patrol if it comes across something suspicious? Does it carry out any training exercises with the customs drugs unit? Training is an important and essential part of this because a great number of drug gangs are highly organised and difficult to intercept. Does the Minister feel the Naval Service could play a greater role in trying to prevent drugs landing on our shores? This is equally if not more important than fishery protection. Fishery protection takes up 90% of the Naval Service's time and a small percentage of time is taken up in trying to intercept drugs. I realise that is not its primary role but would the Minister not see it as complementing the fishery protection role? We should look at the involvement of the Naval Service in this type of operation.

Under the Criminal Justice Act, 1994 and the commencement order introduced by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the Naval Service has the powers to search, where it suspects the transport of drugs into this country, without the assistance of the Garda. By and large it works with the Garda and the customs officers under the task force arrangements and find that successful. There is limited training necessary for that but Navy personnel are very qualified to board and search ships. However, as has been shown in fishery protection, the ability of some fishing outfits to hide what they are doing is significantly greater in the context of illegal drug importation so it can be a difficult task.

I share the Deputy's concern that our open coastline can be exploited but there have been some extraordinary successes along the coast and the work of the Garda, the customs service and the Naval Service has in recent years put a dint in illegal drug operations. There may be more we can do and we try to be alive to these dangerous importations and to the possibility that Ireland may be used as a base for distribution to other parts of the world. We try to keep a constant eye on this area. While 90% of Navy business is in fishery protection this is also an important area.

We must proceed to the next question. That concludes Priority Questions.

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