89. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of times members of the Defence Forces have been involved in drug seizures or intercepting vessels containing drugs in each of the past ten years. [2781/24]

Micheál Martin, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence: As the Deputy will be aware overall responsibility for the prevention of drug trafficking rests primarily with the Customs Service of the Revenue Commissioners, while responsibility for the prevention of crime rests primarily with An Garda Síochána.

The Joint Task Force on Drug Interdiction was established as a Government measure to improve law enforcement in relation to drugs and consists of members of An Garda Síochána, the Revenue Customs Service and the Naval Service. It has proven to be a very successful model for disrupting the smuggling of drugs on the high seas into Ireland and has resulted in a number of significant and high profile drugs seizures. The White Paper on Defence (2015) reaffirms the security role carried out by the Defence Forces in support of this important work.

The Naval Service enjoys a highly beneficial relationship with MAOC (N) since its establishment in 2007, participating in a number of successful joint task force operations with partner nations and agencies across Europe and the Atlantic, and ongoing consultation between MAOC (N) and Naval Service Command will continue in order to ensure provision of maritime military expertise in support of future MAOC (N) operations.

The Defence Forces have participated in a number of high profile drug interdiction operations resulting in significant seizures of drugs in recent years, and while some drug interdiction operations have been widely reported, the Deputy will appreciate that for operational and security reasons it is not appropriate for me to provide the information as requested.