I have been informed by the Garda authorities who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the total personnel strength of the Garda Síochána as at 28 May 2004 was 11,964 (all ranks). All Garda personnel have a responsibility, inter alia, to deal with drug related matters as they arise.
The measures undertaken by the Garda Síochána designed to address drug trafficking and distribution centre around the issue of strategy, structures and resources.
At a strategic level the Garda Síochána is committed to rigorous enforcement of the laws in relation to drug misuse. This is one of the fourteen key strategic goals set out in the annual policing plan. Each Garda division is required to produce a divisional drug policing plan which contributes to the overall goals of the national plan taking into account local circumstances.
Responsibility for co-ordinating the drugs strategy within the policing plan is vested in assistant commissioner, national support services, who overseas the implementation of the organisation's drug strategy.
In addition to the general resources available to address drug trafficking, specific units have been established to deal with particular aspects of organised crime, some of which impact directly on drug trafficking. Principal amongst these are the Garda national drugs unit which is responsible for targeting networks involved in the sale and distribution of illegal drugs, the Garda bureau of fraud investigation, the national bureau of criminal investigation and the Criminal Assets Bureau.
At a local level divisional and district drug units have been established with the specific remit of targeting individuals engaged in the sale and distribution of drugs to local communities. These units are supported by local resources as well as national units when required.
The Garda Síochána also engages in measures designed to reduce the demand of drugs within society. This includes the provision of resources to the national drug strategy team as well as the regional and local drug task forces. Furthermore the work of the Garda community relations section impacts on the issue of substance misuse in a number of ways.
The issue of the adequacy of resources is one which is under constant review having due regard to the nature and extent of the problem coupled with the overall availability of resources. Garda management are of the view that presently there are considerable resources operating at both national and local level aimed at addressing drug trafficking and distribution.
The national drugs strategy sets performance indicators over its lifetime for the volume of drugs seized to increase by 25% by the end of 2004 and 50% by the end of 2008 using the 2000 seizure figures as a baseline. The Garda Síochána and the Customs and Excise are achieving considerable success in relation to this target to date. Data on street value of drug seizures is as follows:—
Garda seizures;
2000 — €20m, 2001 — €45m, 2002 — €49m, 2003 — €100m Customs and Excise seizures; 2000 — €11m, 2001 — €60m, 2002 — €34m, 2003 — €21m.