I have not had discussions with the Michael McDowell, T.D., Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform specifically on the "Drugs and Crime in Ireland" report published in late May by the Health Research Board. However, it should be noted that this report was discussed at some length at the meetings of the Consequences Sub-committee of the National Advisory Committee on Drugs, on which officials of our respective Departments sit. Moreover, I am confident that any issues arising from the report will be tackled with the on-going co-operation of both our Departments through the structures of the National Drugs Strategy.
The report states that it cannot be said conclusively through the data currently available whether most drug users do not commit crimes other than those of possession. After considering the matter at some length, the report concludes that the link between drugs and crime is an issue that needs further examination.
The report highlights that, while drug possession offences account for most drug offences recorded, the exact link between drug misuse and crime figures as a whole is not readily identifiable. While An Garda Síochána compile statistics for drug offences such as possession or intention to supply, they are not in a position to register crimes committed by offenders while on drugs, or for the purpose of facilitating the purchase of drugs.
Irish research was considered in the report through the application of four principal explanatory models — the psycho-pharmacological, the economic-compulsive, the systemic and the common-cause models. The first three models make a direct link between drug use and offending behaviour, while the fourth suggests that the relationship between drugs and crime is less clear. These models throw up contradictory results meaning that careful consideration is needed before making a definitive affirmation on the subject.
Taking all this into account, I do not think that we are in a position yet to conclusively measure the role drugs play in the overall crime figures. As indicated in the report, further research on the matter would be required before we can make such conclusions.