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An Garda Síochána

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 October 2021

Thursday, 7 October 2021

Questions (345)

Neale Richmond

Question:

345. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Justice the amount and volume of drugs and cash seized by An Garda Síochána in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48856/21]

View answer

Written answers

I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to Parliamentary Question Number 345 which was for answer on 7 October 2021, where you requested to be informed of “the amount and volume of drugs and cash seized by An Garda Síochána in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021.”
You will recall that the information could not be obtained in the time available and my Department undertook to consult with An Garda Síochána and contact you again when the information was available.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that while drug types and values are recorded as objects on PULSE, the type of drug, and its purity, weight and value is dependent on analysis from Forensic Science Ireland (FSI), which can take some time for An Garda Síochána to receive. I am further informed that the drugs figures included in An Garda Síochána’s Annual Reports refer to the quantities of drugs analysed by FSI in each calendar year rather than data recorded on PULSE for that year.
The following table, based on information published in An Garda Síochána’s Annual Reports (2015-2020), detail the value of drugs seized for each year from 2015 to 2020.

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Total (€’s)

46,704,240

29,706,281

71,859,695

30,696,694

30,572,365

31,404,368

The information provided to me by the Garda authorities shows that up to the 31 September 2021 controlled drugs with an estimated street value in excess of €48million have been seized in such operations conducted by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), for the year 2021. This figure is, as outlined above, subject to analysis by FSI.
I am advised that the information recorded by GNDOCB is provisional data only and relates to estimate street values of controlled drugs seized in the course of operations conducted by GNDOCB, including joint investigations conducted by GNDOCB with Customs Revenue Service.
I am further informed that a search of the PULSE database was conducted on 5 October 2021 to identify any object of sub-type ‘Cash’ associated as ‘Seized’ with any PULSE incident reported since 1 January 2015. I have been provided with the following table by the Garda authorities, containing the recorded value of each of these objects, aggregated by Garda region and reported year.

Garda Region

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021*

Dublin Region

1,008,756

2,220,499

3,199,769

3,244,288

4,453,974

7,008,632

5,606,197

Eastern Region (NEW)

314,627

336,616

3,633,155

2,440,232

1,236,526

2,886,228

1,554,733

North Western Region

481,761

343,533

545,800

648,819

761,690

3,603,526

949,652

Southern Region (NEW)

596,408

465,478

823,661

915,008

1,038,160

5,764,791

1,625,353

Grand Total (€’s)

2,401,552

3,366,126

8,202,385

7,228,348

7,490,350

19,263,178

9,735,935

*Figures to 4 October 2021.
I am advised that this information may be liable to change and that in a small proportion of incidents the value of cash seized is recorded in the narrative descriptions. I am informed that the figures provided in the above table are based solely on records where the value is recorded in the specific value field and that therefore they should not be understood as definitive total amounts.
I trust this information is of assistance.
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