697. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if there are national policies or additional resources being considered to support towns like Clonmel experiencing a rise in visible drug activity; if there is scope for legislative or policy changes to better address persistent public drug use and protect residential areas; if there are examples of successful interventions in other towns that could be applied here. [33432/26]

Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: The Government’s strategic approach in relation to the misuse of drugs is set out in Ireland’s National Drug Strategy, ‘Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery’, a health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017-2025. The strategy is led by my colleagues in the Department Health, Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Minister of State Jennifer Murnane O’Connor.

The Strategy recognises the need for a balanced health-led approach to reducing demand, while also reducing access to illegal drugs, and is aimed at reducing the number of people criminalised for the possession of drugs for personal use. While this Strategy supports vulnerable people who use drugs, it is also matched with strengthened enforcement measures across Government to tackle the supply of illegal drugs.

This represents a whole-of-Government response to reducing demand and associated harms, while balancing this with limiting access to illegal drugs to the greatest extent possible.

Tackling the scourge of drug dealing and targeting organised crime groups, who inflict intimidation, violence and misery on families and communities across Ireland is a top priority for the government and An Garda Síochána.

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 organised crime and the illegal drug trade, 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;

- Further investment in youth justice initiatives that 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.

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 2025, alongside my colleague Minister Murnane O’Connor, I launched the DRIVE (Drug related intimidation & 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. 

DRIVE promotes interagency collaboration by bringing together law enforcement, health services, social services, and community organisations to tackle Drug Related Intimidation from multiple perspectives. It operates on a national scale across Ireland, ensuring consistent and comprehensive support in all regions.

Additionally, on 11 December 2026, I appointed members, including representatives of An Garda Síochána, to the Tipperary Local Community Safety Partnership. 

The inaugural meeting of the Tipperary Local Community Safety Partnership was held on the 20 January 2026 where they elected their Chair, Noel Coonan, and Vice Chair, Cllr Andy Moloney.

Under section 116 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, Safety Partnerships once established, are independent, community-led bodies mandated to design tailored safety plans based on local priorities. Each Local Community Safety Partnership is required to develop and implement its own tailored community safety plan.

Further information including details of membership within Tipperary’s Local Community Safety Partnership can be accessed at this link.

Local Community Safety Partnership | Tipperary County Council