There has been a significant rise in cocaine consumption in “every rural village and town,” with people now afraid to walk the streets because of associated anti-social behaviour, the Dáil has heard.
Speaking today, Deputy Verona Murphy grilled Minister Darragh O’Brien on what she described as an epidemic that has “reached new heights.”
The Wexford Independent TD hit out at the approach of An Garda Síochána, claiming that “the policing isn’t working.”
“Minister, in recent years there’s been a significant rise in cocaine consumption, with gardai and drugs counsellors’ current report stating that drugs are available in every rural village and town in Ireland,” she said during questions to the government.
“The cliche of cocaine as the drug of choice for the wealthy young elite is long out of date. It has evolved in recent years, and is now being used regularly by all classes across society. This epidemic has soared to new heights and is now being felt in every community, every sports club, every school, and every parish in rural Ireland – every parish in my constituency.”
“Last year, one GAA star and recovering cocaine addict said that drugs are so readily available in rural Ireland that it’s literally like getting a bag of sweets. Another said it can be ordered and obtained as quickly as a pizza delivered to your door.”
She continued that “families are being torn apart, parents are losing their children, children are losing their parents.”
“This epidemic in drug use is fueling the epidemic of abuse and antisocial behaviour in our towns and villages, in county Wexford and in all towns in county Wexford – Enniscorthy, Gorey, New Ross and Wexford.
“Businesses and retail staff and customers are despairing at the level of open drug use and dealing, shoplifting, fighting, open brawls, all in broad daylight on the streets of our towns,” the TD said.
“People are afraid to walk the streets during the day, let alone at night time. Yesterday, I met a person who told me they readily remember walking down the streets of Wexford at 3am after a night out with no fear. They now worry about walking down the streets of Wexford at 3pm in the afternoon.”
She went on to refer to a number of broad daylight incidents in Wexford, including a woman being attacked and robbed of her social welfare money while coming from a post office.
“Only a few days ago, there was a very violent dispute on the Wexford Quay front. This follows a similar incident only last month that saw two young men attacked on the street. A short number of weeks prior to that, a woman was pushed to the ground and robbed of her social welfare money after she came from the post office. People are afraid, genuinely afraid, and feel strongly that little action is being taken to address the issues.”
Deputy Murphy said that a rise in population had not been met with an equivalent increased policing presence.
“County Wexford has experienced a 9.5 per cent increase in population from last census of 2016. We’re not seeing anything like that in the equivalent increase in garda numbers. Rather, a lack of resources to An Garda SÃochána.
“A report from the policing authority regarding the issue of public order training and resources is due in June, which I welcome. But it’s time for a response from government in relation to rural policing. The coastal watch programme, launched by gardai to curb the threat of drugs being landed along the coastline, is welcome. But I’ve just come from the Public Accounts Committee, Minister, with the Department of Defence.
“We have six ships, six naval vessels, Minister, which have cost the State half a billion euros. Four sit by the quayside.”
Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien TD, agreed that the incidents Deputy Murphy had raised in her constituency were “truly shocking.”
“We have seen, from time to time, increases in that type of behaviour,” he said. “That’s why it is so important that we continue to support our gardai that are there, support them so that they can continue to carry out more visible community policing.”
Minister O’Brien said it was a “very serious issue,” and insisted “it is not just a commentary.”
“In relation to community policing, that has to be the core of what we are doing,” he responded.
The Minister, a former chair of the regional drugs and alcohol task force in North Dublin, said he had seen first hand the damage that illegal, illicit drugs can do — as well as legal drugs.
He said the educational approach aimed at young people had to inform them to make the right decisions.
Mr O’Brien pointed to the use of cannabis, saying that the synthetic cannabis consumed by many young people is now “100 times stronger” than a normal joint, adding: “it has really bad, negative effects.”
‘SYNTHETIC CANNABIS ONE OF MOST DANGEROUS DRUGS’
“The days of the garda going into the school showing drug paraphernalia and saying, ‘Don’t do this,’ are gone. Young people are clever, they’re intelligent and will make decisions based on the information that they have. And yes, we have seen an increase in drug use, and an increase in the prevalence and availability of drugs, and not just cocaine.
“I think one of the most dangerous drugs out there is synthetic cannabis, where people believe that cannabis itself is simply the cannabis leaf. No more is it that it is laboratory produced, and is about 100 times stronger than what one would have thought a normal joint would have been in the past and has really bad, negative effects, particularly on young people, particularly up to the age of 25.
“We need to continue to resource the regional drugs and alcohol task forces, our local drugs task forces, to provide the family supports that are required, to provide the education that is required to our young people to enable them to make the right decisions.”
He insisted that more needed to be done, and community policing units needed to be set up and established across the country.
“We’re recruiting more gardai,” he said. “It’s not just a commentary. We’ve got to ensure that we have health professionals there on the front line as well. Particularly on the education side through our schools.”
Deputy Verona Murphy responded by saying that it was the case that “prevention is always better than cure.”
“Last August 2023, when it was announced that we would remove the drugs squads and community policing, that was very serious. And it’s a pity you didn’t make the same statement you made a minute ago then. We don’t have a restated community policing unit in Wexford. But I can read out millions of pounds worth of seizures of drugs between Rosslare, on our coast, the MV Matthew last October.
“Prevention of drugs getting into the system. Use of naval services, we’re badly resourcing it, but we still have half a billion euros worth of ships sitting on the Quay wall with no personnel to man them. Why can’t we join the dots? We’re an island. I don’t need a lesson on what drugs we’re using. It’s the effects and the anti-social behaviour of not being able to police it.
“80 per cent less drugs searches are done because The Garda Síochána have to fill in 24 points of information. The policing isn’t working. The policing authority needs to be restructured.”