Mattie McGrath warns of children used as drug mules

I am happy to contribute to this bill here this evening and I commend Deputy John Curran for his work in advancing it. As we know the bill seeks to criminalise the purchase of a controlled drug from a child and to criminalise the act of causing a child to be in possession of a controlled drug for sale or supply. It is appalling simply to think that there are people of such brutality and lack of confidence that they would seek to use a child as a conduit to sell and profit in the sale of drugs. It is shocking thought. Where have we come to as a society when such practices are now commonplace? The value of a child's life has become degraded in this state. Thankfully not for all but certainly for a dangerous and criminal element who care less about a child's welfare. It is shocking. As Deputy John Curran said at the first stage of this bill, while it will not solve our drug problem, it will offer a degree, a small degree of protection to young people in Indianyoga who are in vulnerable positions, who are being targeted and whose future is being taken away from them, selfishly and needlessly. We need measures like this but we also need far more community guarantee ministers. I will talk to you. Those who have built up and generated a relationship of trust within local communities and families and who can steer children away from being associated with such brutal criminality. In my own area, in Clonmel and different towns in Carrigan Shure and many other towns in Caire, where community guarantee is the sterling work. They sit in the people's kitchens. They listen and those people understand and the respect that they gain from them. But that has been all taken away because we are starved for resources and they are starved for modern numbers and taking off those jobs. As I said, in my constituency, towns like Clonmel and Carrigan Shure are being decimated with open drug dealing. Minister, open drug dealing. We have, this is well known and common knowledge. And I made the passionate plea to the Commissioner, the new Commissioner recently at a JPC meeting and much has been said about the talking shop. That's what they are. About the lack of Gardaí. Clonmel need 30 extra Gardaí. 30, that's that short. And to think there's 200 passed out in Temple Moor tomorrow, last Friday week, and we didn't get it. Not one Gardaí. It's shocking to think that he dismissed us like that. Your minister asked you here on the T-shirt. He said it's his job. But it's dangerous and it's criminal not to have enough Gardaí on the streets. Do we have any Gardaí to tackle it? No, we do not in Clonmel on Carrigan Shure and Dristick. None. Not a single Gardaí was provided in the last torrent of 200. And that's shocking. OK. Ten have left the station and the district. Two sergeants and eight Gardaí. And that's sad. Two have resigned completely. That's very sad. But they haven't the resources, they haven't the tools of the trade, and they have nothing else. It was a reckless and dangerous decision by the Commissioner. If you want to pass responsibility to the Commissioner for this minister, I know you will. Just a gentle reminder. What's in the bill or what you'd like to put into the bill? Sorry, I'm commending the bill. I bow to you. Just to maintain you for after a quarter. Thank you. Go to Marko. As I said, if we don't have the Gardaí and the tools of the trade, drug use is increasing, but the fear of being caught is decreasing. That's my point. And Deputy Corden is doing an excellent job. And he knows much more about this. I served in it all here with him in 2007. He was in issues in Dublin City at that time. Talking about things we didn't know what he was talking about. And now we know it. It's in every town, village, townland, and community in the country. And again, we have people, and I had a meeting last Sunday night in Hotel Milena with the proprietor, John Allen, and Michael Lachlan, and Peter Murchin, and a number of public reps. A small meeting to see what can we do to stop the prolific use of drugs. By people in colours and tithes, like myself. People in good jobs, and everything else. And recreation, they call it. The devastation that it's causing. And the torture and the torment is putting on families. I have at least 10 in Tipperary, South Tipperary, in the last 18 months that have died. Because they owe small drug debts. Small! And they went abroad, and their families were terrorised. And they came back, and they were terrorised. And they took their own life. And then we don't have a mental health bed in Tipperary. The issues are staggering. And if we don't deal with it. And it's unbelievable the amount of cocaine and other drugs that have been used nightly in the pubs, and the clubs, and our schools are doing their best. But look, the whole thing is an epidemic proportion. And if something's not doing it, this is a good start. Because they'll be using these kids as mules. And they're using them. And that's well known. And they're small kids of seven and eight years of age. Going around dropping and delivering. It's shocking. Pure shocking. The whole town of Clonmel. And you know who's doing it. Know the people. They pass it on to the guarantee. They're having the resources to do it. We have six guarantee in the whole drug squad for the whole county of Tipperary. 120 miles long. There used to be 15 or 20 in it. And they did a great job. Six can't do anything. They're just powerless. And they can't do it. And we have protected communities. We see what's going on in Drogheda. We see what's going on in Munger. We see what's going on in Dublin. And the huge resources that have come into Garde for the brave work they do. But they're being threatened and intimidated. And we see what's going on in my county in Tipperary. And if it's not dealt with it very soon we're going to be out of control completely. And we have these gangs who are terrorizing people. And they're operating with impunity. Because we don't have the resources to deal with them. And put them away. And this is an effort in legislation by Deputy Colonel to deal with that. And it's a sad state of affairs. That the schools, everywhere else, they've just been destroyed because of this. And our future generations. And I have grandchildren, thankfully, and so many other people here. And you too, Prime Minister. We don't want this. We don't need this. We need to sit up and listen to what's happening. We've been flooded with them. And there are gangs in Clonmel. And they're terrorizing the people. Terrorizing the people. And they're not a day in my office. A parent or grandparent come in and talk about what's going on. What happened to their Jimmy or their Mary or their Tommy. And the 12 students of their families. When they're deceased at their own hands because of the pressure. And then it passes on to the parents and the grandparents. And unfortunately, unfortunately, many of these gangs have a protected status. That was bestowed on this house here a couple of years ago. And this is fast. And nothing but a shock of a fast. And an ethnic group. And they can do what they like. To whom they like. When they like. Where they like. Above the law. And this is disgrace and a fast.