Vol. 467 No. 2
136 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice the calculations of the Garda Síochána on the percentage of crime that is drug related; the remedial measures, if any, that can be introduced to redress this serious matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12973/96]
I refer the Deputy to my answer to a similar parliamentary question tabled by him — No. 37 of 14 March 1995. As I stated at that time, while it is clear that substance abuse is a factor in certain types of crime, there are no figures available quantifying the actual number of offences in which substance abuse is a factor. It should be borne in mind that it is not always possible to state, with any degree of accuracy, the extent to which substance abuse may be a factor in any particular case. By definition, the relationship between crime and substance abuse, while clearly established, is difficult to quantify in precise terms.
