Chris Flood
Ceist:129 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Health the progress, if any, which has been made in the implementation of the national strategy for the prevention of drugs misuse.
Written Answers. - Drug Abuse.
The recommendations of the National Strategy to Prevent Drug Misuse is being implemented in tandem with the recommendations of the National AIDS Strategy Committee and I would like to complement the Deputy on his work in this area during his term of office as Minister of State in the Department of Health.
Since the appointment of Deputy Willie O'Dea as Minister of State in my Department the National Co-ordinating Committee on Drug Abuse has met and are considering the changes and amendments in the law which are needed to combat the gaps in legislation in order to strengthen the powers of the gardaí and the Customs Officers. The Minister of State proposes to discuss their findings with the Minister for Justice in the near future. As the Deputy is aware work is being done on a proposed Confiscation of Criminal Proceeds Bill. This will provide for the seizure and confiscation of the proceeds of crime and will enable Ireland to ratify the UN drugs convention.
The seizure of assets of drug traffickers in the UK and US has been an indispensable weapon in the fight against drugs and I am confident that it will assist the authorities in combating the problem here.
The Deputy will also be aware that there have been other significant developments recently including:
—the strengthening of surveillance procedures by customs;
—the increase in seizures by the Garda Síochána;
—the development of additional facilities for the treatment and management of drug misuse;
—the on-going development of a nationwide data base.