Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2023
500. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide a breakdown of the number of seizures of cannabinoids (cannabis edibles) products by An Garda Síochána for each of the years 2018 to 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; the estimated street value or worth of those seizures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25750/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including operational policing matters and the recording of information on the Garda PULSE system. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I have contacted the Garda authorities and have been advised that An Garda Síochána is unable to provide counts of seizures related to cannabis edibles. Confirmation of drugs seized are subject to analysis and verification by Forensic Science Ireland prior to publication in the Garda Annual Report. Page 94 of the 2021 report provides a breakdown of Garda seizures for that year, and can be viewed at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/office-of-corporate-communications/news-media/ags-annual-report-2021-english.pdf.
The Deputy should note that these figures do not include drugs seized by other responsible State agencies, such as Revenue Customs Service.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics. The CSO produces these statistics using data recorded on An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system and makes regular releases under reservation in relation to various crime statistics, including recorded and detected crime. The CSO continues to work with An Garda Síochána to address quality issues in the underlying sources used to compile the statistics.
Data by Garda Division for drugs offences under the Misuse of Drugs Acts (Section 3 – Simple Possession and Section 15 – Possession for Sale or Supply) is available at the following link from Q1 2003 to Q4 2022 (the latest published data): data.cso.ie/table/CJQ06.
