Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 February 2022
659. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the monetary value of crack cocaine seized by gardaí in the Roscommon-Longford and Westmeath Garda divisions in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [10068/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, tackling drug dealing and organised criminal activity is a key priority for the Government and for An Garda Síochána. Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including operational decisions and the deployment of resources to address drug crime. As Minister, I have no responsibility for these matters.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that confirmed information on types of drugs, and associated weights/volume and purity is only available following analysis by Forensic Science Ireland (FSI). I am further advised that FSI do not classify crack cocaine separately to other cocaine cases.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that it is also possible that seizures of substances suspected to be crack cocaine may be recorded on PULSE under the more generic term of “cocaine”.
As a result of these factors, I am advised by An Garda Síochána that it is not possible to give a response to this question.
Separately, the Deputy may be interested to know that 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, and can be located at the link below:
www.garda.ie/en/about-us/publications/annual%20reports/an-garda-siochana-annual-reports/
