1624. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the engagement there has been between his Department, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on providing an inter-agency response to the scourge of drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74031/25]

Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration:

I am fully committed to significantly reducing the harms caused to families and communities by illicit drug use. The three main policy objectives my Department are seeking to achieve in this area are:

- tackling organised crime;

- minimising the harms caused to those with addiction issues; and

- diverting people from involvement in crime and illicit drug-related activity.

A number of key actions have been taken as part of our plan to tackle illegal drug use, including:

- 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;

- New laws have been enacted which criminalise the grooming of children into a life of crime;

- Drafting new laws which will provide for the use of biometric recognition technology in the investigation of certain drug offences;

- Community-based youth crime prevention initiatives which seek to divert young people who have been, or are at risk of becoming, involved in criminal behaviour.

The Government is fully committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to fight organised crime and the illegal drugs trade. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of over €2.74 billion in Budget 2026.

Operation Tara aims to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels – international, national and local – involved in the sale and supply of illegal drugs. Under Operation Tara, individuals and groups involved in the drug trade are the target of enforcement activity based on intelligence and the latest crime trends.

Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs), which are a key element of the Youth Justice Strategy, play a vital role in enhancing community safety and are fully funded by my Department. A number of YDPs engage in targeted drugs and alcohol related preventative work.

In terms of minimising harms, the Garda Commissioner has tasked an Inspector in every Garda Division to respond to the issue of drug-related intimidation. Information on the Drug-Related Intimidation Reporting Programme and a list of the nominated Inspectors countrywide is available on the Garda website.

In May, alongside my colleague Minister Murnane O’Connor, I launched the DRIVE (drug-related intimidation and violence engagement) project. DRIVE’s primary goal is to establish effective systems and structures for a unified, timely, and sensitive response to drug-related intimidation. It focuses on responding to incidents, supporting those affected, and preventing future occurrences.

This Government recognises that possession of illicit drugs for personal should be viewed as a public health issue and not just as a matter for the criminal justice system.

The Department of Health together with my Department, the Health Service Executive and An Garda Síochána, are developing a Health Diversion Scheme. The Scheme, which is in line with Recommendation 17 of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use, will provide a health-led response to possession for personal use. It will facilitate members of An Garda Síochána to connect participants with health services, thereby providing a pathway to treatment and recovery in cases of problematic drug use.

The Minister of State for the National Drugs Strategy and I have agreed the scheme will commence on an administrative basis and An Garda Síochána and the Director of Public Prosecutions are currently finalising the scheme’s operational details, prior to commencement at a national level.

The Department of Health leads on Government policy in the area of drugs, and this policy is guided by the whole-of-government national drugs and alcohol strategy, which sets out a health-led response to drug and alcohol use. That Department is currently leading on the development of a new National Drugs Strategy and all relevant Departments and other stakeholders will be engaged in that process.