505. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Justice the extent to which he and his colleagues at international level remain focused on the need to ensure the cut-off of the illegal supply of drugs, particularly heroin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9845/23]

Simon Harris Minister for Justice

Tackling drug dealing and associated criminal activity, including by organised crime groups and by members of the public who, through their drug taking fuel this illegal and very harmful trade, is a top priority for An Garda Síochána and the Government. The Government is committed to taking a number of direct actions to tackle this, including by:

• Increasing the maximum sentence for conspiracy to murder from 10 years to life in prison to tackle those who direct gangland and drug related crime;
• Introducing new legislation which will criminalise the grooming of children into a life of crime;
• Supporting the roll-out of Greentown, a pilot programme which is seeking to break the link between the gangs and the children they try to recruit.

An Garda Síochána continues to target those involved in the sale and supply of illegal drugs through Operation Tara, which has a strong focus on tackling street-level dealing across the country. Operation Tara also focuses on disrupting and dismantling the drug trafficking networks that impact on our communities and prosecuting those involved, at every level. As part of Operation Tara, Gardaí from the Tallaght Drugs Unit seized suspected heroin with an estimated value of €136,654 in October 2022.

The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) has had significant, sustained success in disrupting the supply of illicit drugs by organised crime groups with over €235 million worth of drugs seized in the period 2016 – 2021, as well as several substantial seizures in recent weeks.

Cooperation with international law enforcement agencies remains a key element of the Garda response in view of the global nature of the drugs trade, with Gardaí working closely with relevant law enforcement agencies such as INTERPOL and Europol to target drug trafficking.

More broadly, the Government’s strategic approach to the misuse of drugs is health-led, under the National Drugs and Alcohol Strategy 2017-2025, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, with the intention being to reduce demand, while balancing this with limiting access to illegal drugs to the greatest extent possible. Gardaí are in ongoing collaboration with local authorities, the HSE, NGOs, community groups and other state agencies to tackle the problems of drug addiction and abuse.