Responsibility for our drugs problem has moved between four Government departments while drugs-related deaths have risen 50 per cent in the Dublin area and 8 per cent nationally, the Dáil has heard.
Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan said political responsibility for the issue had moved from the Department of the Taoiseach to Tourism and Sport, then to Community and Rural Affairs and was now with the Department of Health.
Large areas
The regional drugs task forces were given large areas to cover, she said, but with 38 per cent cuts in funding since 2008, officials were not able to attend meetings to deal with the issue on an inter-agency basis.
They were waiting two years for legislation to deal with tranquillisers and other pills “because gardaí are helpless to do anything about them”.
She added: “I have seen children as young as 10 dabbling in drugs, being used by dealers as runners and look-outs”.
List of priorities
The Dublin Central TD said: “One can only conclude that drugs and related issues are very far down the list of priorities”, and she called for a Minister of State whose sole remit would be drugs.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said that “the question of Ministers is like the story of the loaves and fishes. No matter what we do we will not have enough.”
However, he said that irrespective of cuts, agencies and staff should be able to attend meetings “where decisions are made”.
He pledged to have it discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee dealing specifically with this issue “to see if we can make an impact”.