I note that the word "incompetent" has tripped lightly off the Deputy's tongue in the past week. Members of the Garda have been singularly successful in drugs seizures in recent times. In this context the work of the laboratory has increased dramatically. I take the opportunity to pay the warmest possible tribute to the, in the main, young men and women of the national drugs unit. They have been an outstanding success and they are a tribute to the force as they would be to any police force in the world.
There are arrears due to the circumstances I outlined. These are in the chemistry section, the biology section and the drugs section. Over the last three years, 27,280 cases have been received and a total of 8,914 cases are awaiting analysis. Of those, 6,963 were received in 2001, which is an indication of the workload of the people involved in the unit. It is true that we have a staffing problem in this excellent unit and that we require additional staff. I have consulted the Government about this matter and we are in discussions with the unions. There was a meeting this morning about the matter. I hope we will be able to resolve this in the near future and that we will be in a position to give the laboratory the resources it requires.