GROUPS JOIN TO FIGHT DRUGS IN KILLARNEY

A multi-agency approach to drugs "and the drugs sub-culture" in one Co
Kerry town has led to a significant increase in detection and a departure
from the area by drug-pushers.

The Killarney Drugs Liaison Committee was set up 15 months ago by the
town's urban district council to tackle a growing problem in the tourist
town. Among those involved are representatives from the housing estates,
community organisations, the town council, the Garda, an addiction
treatment centre and the Southern Health Board.

"There is no doubt Killarney had a problem. It's a problem in every town in
Ireland, but for years it was ignored," the UDC chairman, Mr Sean Counihan,
said ahead of an information seminar tomorrow for communities throughout Co
Kerry. The approach with information collated from different groups was the
right one, he said.

The main drugs in Killarney were cannabis and ecstasy, according to Insp
Pat Sullivan, the Garda representative on the committee. While he was not
yet able to give exact figures, the numbers of prosecutions and detections
had noticeably increased as a direct result of the committee, he said.

Monitoring groups on the town's large housing estates reported suspicious
movements, and their vigilance had "pushed the pushers out", Mr Counihan said.

The Bishop of Kerry, Dr Bill Murphy, will open the seminar at the Great
Southern Hotel in Killarney.