Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 Mar 2000

Vol. 516 No. 6

Written Answers. - Garda Operations.

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

346 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the Government is reducing the resources available to the Garda to combat drugs trafficking in view of the fact that the White Paper on Defence has called for a number of naval vessels to be earmarked, equipped and manned primarily for fishery protection. [8929/00]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

This Government is, in fact, increasing the resources available to the Garda. Garda numbers have increased in the past three years by 600 members and are on course to meet the Government target of a Garda strength of 12,000 by the year 2002. The Garda fleet has also increased from 1350 to 1800 vehicles and the Garda air support unit has become operational and an additional helicopter is being purchased.

The allocation for Garda expenditure provided in the 1997 Estimates for the Garda Vote was a figure of £494 million, this years provision is £668 million.

I am sure that the Deputy will agree that this clearly illustrates my commitment and that of the Government to ensure that The Garda Síochána has the necessary resources to tackle drug trafficking and crime in all its forms. In fact, the reality is that The Garda Síochána has never, in its history, been better resourced in terms of manpower and equipment than it has been since this Government took office.

My colleague the Minister for Defence has informed me that while the main day to day role of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union, Government measures to improve law enforcement in relation to drugs, including the establishment, in 1993, of a joint task force involving the Garda, the Customs Service and the Naval Service, have helped to maximise the effective use of Naval Service resources in combating the illegal importation of drugs.

During the course of routine patrols Naval Service vessels may be deployed to anti-drug smuggling operations. Naval Service vessels are specifically tasked from time to time to carry out drug search and interdiction operations in aid of the civil authorities. While Naval Service personnel are designated as enforcement officers under the Criminal Justice Act, 1994, in practice the Naval Service operates under the direction of the joint task force where measures to combat the important of illegal drugs are concerned. In this regard, the White Paper on Defence does not envisage any change in the role of the Naval Service.