1423. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of seizures of nitazenes and other synthetic opioids made by An Garda Síochána in each year since 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43437/26]

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.

Operation Tara is An Garda Síochána’s national anti-drug crime operation which began in July 2021.

The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks and drug related organised crime groups at all levels - international, national, local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs.

Under Operation Tara, individuals and groups involved in drug crime are the target of enforcement activity based on intelligence and the latest crime trends.

Official drug seizure statistics, upon completion of the FSI process, are provided in the Annual Reports of An Garda Síochána which can be accessed at the following link:

www.garda.ie/en/about-us/publications/annual%20reports/an-garda-siochana-annual-reports/ .

Forensic Science Ireland also publish details of drug seizures in their annual reports at the following link: www.forensicscience.ie/corporate-services/annual-reports/