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Inishowen to get Garda Drugs Unit
01.05.08
A GARDA Drugs Unit is
to be set up to tackle drug-related crime in
Inishowen.
Senator Cecilia Keaveney revealed the plan yesterday
saying she had been informed of the move by Justice
Minister Brian Lenihan, less than a week after
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern visited the site of the new
Garda station for Buncrana.
"The issue of drugs is an important one in every
part of the country and I am eager to learn more
about this project," she said.
"Questions that I intend to raise will be whether
this will add to our current Garda strength in the
county or whether the new unit will be resourced
from the current cohort of Garda either within the
Buncrana District or the county allocation."
She said she would be enquiring from her Government
colleagues, whether the issue of serious alcohol
abuse and alcohol-fuelled incidents would come under
the remit of the new Drugs Unit. |
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“There needs to be an
inter-agency approach to the anti-social behaviour
that is occurring. It was confirmed to us, at the
British Irish Interparliamentary Body meeting in
Wexford this week by the Cornmarket project in the |
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county that many people
get introduced to other drugs while they are under
the influence of alcohol. "Therefore it is important
that any new dedicated unit would not only be an
agency to detect, seize and prosecute, but also work
to minimise the use of all drugs in the county."
The Moville-based public representative is a member
of the Joint Policing Committee in Letterkenny. She
said she recognised that Gardai working with other
agencies have a better level of success than any one
agency working on its own.
"It is the local nature of the disturbances that we
face on a weekly basis and usually caused by a small
number of people, that can best be dealt with at the
local level as long as all elements of the process
buy into supporting the work being undertaken.
"I believe that this is an important progression for
law and order in Inishowen."
She also welcomed the fact that the Rural Policing
Initiative that she pursued for the Carndonagh,
Clonmany, Malin and Culdaff areas, was now being
evaluated. The initiative will identify ways of
increasing the performance and improving the
policing service in the community.
Senator Keaveney added: "I intend to raise again the
issue of the new Garda station for Carndonagh which
will be another element in supporting our law and
order aspirations in the area." |
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