‘No doubt’ drugs may have been used in Leinster House, Dáil hears

THERE is “no doubt” that illegal drugs may have been used within the grounds of Leinster House, Aóntu leader Peadar Tóibín has claimed.

Mr Tóibín was speaking in the Dáil during questions to the Taoiseach where he sought information on State efforts to crackdown on the illegal drug trade.

He said he had “no doubt” that drugs may have been used within the Houses of the Oireachtas.

He asked Leo Varadkar to outline how many personnel the State has working in Irish harbours to stop drugs from entering the country.

The remarks prompted Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl to intevene, telling Mr Tóibín: “Deputy, if you’ve any evidence of narcotics being used on this premises, I’d be very glad if you’d bring it to my attention.”

It is the second time in the last year that the issue of drug use in parliament has been raised with Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis telling the Dáil last February: “Cocaine has become a major substance used in our society. You see it in pubs, you see it everywhere, it’s even in Dáil Éireann.”

His comment came days after Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, a former drugs minister, said: “People in the media take drugs, people in politics take drugs, guards take drugs, nurses take drugs.”

As yet, no direct evidence of drug use within Leinster House has emerged, however.

Speaking in response to Mr Tóibín later in the debate on Tuesday, Mr Varadkar paid tribute to the work of An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, and Revenue Commissioners in stopping drugs being smuggled into the country in recent months.

“It seems that when drug smuggling isn’t stopped, that’s seen as Ireland being a soft touch or being a weak underbelly when it comes to drug smuggling. When it’s interdicted, people seem to make the same case,” he said.

“But I think there’s very, very good evidence here that An Garda Síochána, Defence Forces and Revenue Commissioners are doing their job and doing a very good job and stopping illegal drugs coming into the country.”

He said it is “never going to be possible” to stop all drugs coming into the country, noting the US has not been able to stop drugs coming into its states despite the large resources it poured into stopping the importation of illegal narcotics.

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