'2.25BN POUNDS IN DRUGS FLOODING STREETS' CLAIM

A SENIOR union leader has attacked the Government over the "lack of
resources" committed to agencies fighting drugs.

Only 10pc of drugs destined for the country's streets are detected, John
Rossiter, president of the Public Service Executive Union which
represents some 17,500 managers in the public sector told its annual
conference in Waterford yesterday.

While more than pounds 250m worth of illegal drugs had been seized over
the last eight years, "simple arithmetic" showed it was possible to
estimate at least pounds 2.25bn worth of drugs made it onto the streets,
declared Mr Rossiter. "This is a shocking state of affairs, a national
scandal."

The Coalition had allocated well over pounds 100m for sporting
organisations and a further pounds 10m for acquisition of historical
artefacts.

"Allocation of a small proportion of these amounts to the agencies
involved in the fight against drugs would make a big difference to the
future of the nation, particularly the children," said the PSEU chief.
"It really makes me angry when I see the effects of drugs and lack of
resources committed to agencies fighting this cancer on our society.
This is surely more important than large stadia, or egos."

Mr Rossiter called on Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy and the Revenue
Commissioners to "fully accept their responsibilities to all of us and
our families" and allocate substantial extra resources to "crack down
properly on this nefarious trade."

Such a national crisis warranted at least as serious a response by way
of resources as the foot-and-mouth crisis, said the union chief,
pointing out that since May 1999 one of Dublin's newest Garda drugs
units had seized more than pounds 20m worth of drugs.

Last night, however, Eoin Ryan, the minister with responsibility for the
Government's drugs strategy, said money was not an issue in dealing with
the drugs problem. Last year pounds 140m had gone into tackling drugs
across all Government departments.

Declared Mr Ryan: "Pounds 15m has been given to new local drug task
forces, pounds 8m for a further 150 locally based projects, pounds 10m
for prevention plans and another pounds 10m for plans like after-school
projects. "I'm not getting complaints from communities we're failing to
give them money to tackle the drugs problem. That's not the reaction I'm
getting on the ground. It's a complex area which has suffered neglect
over the past 30 years. But we're trying to rebuild services and there's
a new holistic approach to tackling drugs. I don't believe money is
lacking."

A Revenue spokeswoman said drugs and all smuggling operations were under
constant review. "A major review carried out last year is now being
implemented under a steering group."

* Stormont's Assembly now wants drug dealers put on a register like
paedophiles.