Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Thank you, Cathaoirleach, and good afternoon to the Committee members. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the Justice Committee today and to engage with members on the following matters: The report, ‘An Assessment of the Efficacy of Bail Laws in Ireland’ – perhaps better known as the Staines Report; Drug related intimidation and violence; Coercion of Youth and Children; and Related matters.

On the matter of drug related violence and intimidation, I am fully committed to helping to significantly reduce the harms caused to families and communities by illicit drug use. The stark reality of drug use in Ireland today means this work is a high priority for my Department. We have a particular focus on targeting the work of organised crime groups, which inflict intimidation and violence on families and communities, while grooming and coercing vulnerable young people into drug-related criminal activity.

Drug related intimidation and violence in the community is a sinister form of criminality requiring a multi-faceted response, which both supports victims and ensures robust enforcement targeting the people carrying out these crimes. An Garda Síochána continue to target those involved in street-level drug dealing across the country and also focuses on disrupting and dismantling the drug trafficking networks that impact our communities, and prosecuting those involved at every level, through Operation Tara. It is also welcome that Operation Fógra, launched by An Garda Síochána specifically to tackle drug-related intimidation, has been responsible for an increasing number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions for offences related to drug-related intimidation and violence. Recognising the comprehensive response necessary to tackle this issue, I am also highly supportive of dedicated initiatives such as the cross-Agency DRIVE Project, led by the Department of Health, which seeks to reduce incidents of drug-related intimidation and to foster safer, healthier communities. In May of last year, alongside my 2 colleague Minister Murnane O’Connor, I launched the DRIVE (Drug Related Intimidation & Violence Engagement) awareness campaign.  The DRIVE campaign’s primary objective is to establish effective systems and structures that ensure a unified, timely, and sensitive response to drug-related intimidation, with a strong focus on victim support and community safety. 

The Community Safety Fund, which allows the proceeds of crime and the good work of CAB and An Garda Síochána to be directed back into communities, has supported a variety of responses to community safety issues identified at community level, including in the area of substance misuse and drug related intimidation. It is important to recognise that the actions under way in relation to this area must be viewed holistically. No one single policy solution can resolve all the harms caused to society by the use of illicit drugs but a combination of policies that are aligned and coherent can make a real difference for all those affected by the curse of illicit drugs. Diverting people, in particular young people, away from involvement in crime is another significant area of focus in the work of my Department...

Full opening statement, Jim O’Callaghan T.D., Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (PDF)

Video of session on 27 January 2025 can be found at this link, begins at about 18.17 minutes.