Vol. 563 No. 1
503 Mr. Dennehy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the fall in drug seizures in the past year; if the findings reflect an overall fall in the illegal drug trade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7155/03]
510 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the flood of cocaine being sold in communities already ravaged by heroin; and the measures his Department has taken to investigate ways of tackling this particular epidemic, particularly as there is little treatment available for cocaine addicts. [7269/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 503 and 510 together.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the street value of drugs seized by the force actually increased in 2002 and was in the order of €49 million compared to €45 million in 2001. The 2001 figure was itself an increase on 2000 when the estimated value of drugs seized by An Garda Síochána was approximately €20 million.
A key performance indicator in the national drugs strategy 2001-08 is to increase the volume of opiates and all other drugs seized by 25% by end of 2004 and by 50% by end 2008, using 2000 seizures as a base. These indicators reflect a major supply reduction objective of the strategy which is to reduce significantly the volume of illicit drugs available in Ireland, to arrest the dynamic of the existing markets and to curtail new markets as they are identified.
As I informed the House recently, it is the view of the Garda authorities that there would appear to be an increase in the availability of cocaine in the Dublin area. Operations have been initiated in divisions throughout the Dublin area and a number of significant seizures have been made. In addition, joint Garda-Customs operations have resulted in the detection of a number of attempted cocaine importations at Dublin airport. The situation will continue to be monitored and Garda operations targeting known suppliers of cocaine will also continue.
In addition, the Garda Síochána Policing Plan for 2003 contains a commitment to conduct research on the level of cocaine use. The Garda Research Unit will implement the commitment in consultation with the Garda National Drugs Unit and will bring forward policing recommendations accordingly. The Garda authorities have already initiated a broad study into illegal drug use and associated crime. The results of this research will provide a clear picture in relation to overall trends in drug misuse.
