‘Direct link’ between snorting cocaine and ‘murder’, Simon Harris tells Dáil

There is a direct link between “snorting a line or taking a pill” at the weekend and murder, assault and criminality the following week, the Minister for Justice Simon Harris has told the Dáil.

Mr Harris said drug use on a Friday or Saturday night is “funding and supporting violence, crime and murders the next week”.

The minister was responding to questions from Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith on Thursday who asked if additional measures would be implemented both locally and nationally to deal with “what is an epidemic at the present time”.

The Cavan-Monaghan TD said there needed to be more awareness campaigns on drug use for every age group, “because we hear of the prevalence of drugs in places we never thought they would be present”.

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In response, Mr Harris said he was “very concerned” about the growing social acceptance of drug taking in the State. The Fine Gael TD said he was not talking about those struggling with drug addiction who instead needed a “health-led approach”.

“There’s another type of drug use we’ve got to start talking about in this country ... What I’m talking about is the increasing prevalence and often visibility of drug taking as part of a night out in Ireland,” Mr Harris said.

“Any conversation we have about drug use cannot ignore this reality. There is a direct link between snorting a line or taking a pill and murder, assault, criminality and misery.

“Drug use on a Friday or Saturday night is funding and supporting violence, crime, murders the next week. You’re helping to line the pockets of criminals who are inflicting misery and pain in communities across our country. We need to get real about this, drug use is not victimless, it’s far from it.”

Mr Harris said he had recently met senior gardaí to discuss the issue and was confident they were taking the matter seriously, adding there would be more Garda operations.

“The rules are clear and any night time venue or any social premises needs to be very aware of the law and the responsibilities and there are and there will continue to be Garda operations to ensure that law is upheld right across this country,” he said.

The minister said there are people who go out for a pint and “accompany” their drink with drugs.

“We’ve got to start calling this out – there’s a direct link and a direct correlation between that so called social activity and lining the pickets of these criminal gangs,” he said.

“You can’t have a situation where you do one thing at the weekend and you start abhorring the criminality the next week.”

Mr Harris added that tackling drug dealing and associated activity, including by organised crime groups, was a top priority for An Garda Síochána and the Government.

Mr Smith said it was “heartbreaking” listening to parents and siblings who had lost family members through the use of drugs and had become “victims of these people who are peddling drugs and causing untold hardship”.

He said he had recently spoken with a mother who had lost her son and husband. He said the role drugs played in their deaths was “absolutely appalling”.