GOVERNMENT ACCUSED OVER HEROIN TASKFORCE

SINN FEIN'S Maurice Quinlivan has labelled the failure of the
Government to establish a city drugs taskforce as "deeply
irresponsible". He accused the Government of failing to take the
Limerick issue seriously.

"The Government has responded to this by sticking its head in the
sand. As a consequence, we are now at the stage where the situation,
especially the misuse of heroin, has gained a hold in parts of the
city with devastating consequences for the families of those
involved," he said.

The Fitzgerald report recommended the establishment of a drugs
taskforce for Limerick city. In the report, Mr Fitzgerald stated that
"a local focus for intervention should be immediately established for
Limerick city."

Mr Quinlivan accused the Government of ignoring these
suggestions.

"It really is deeply irresponsible of Government to have allowed
things to get to this stage, particularly given the recommendation in
John Fitzgerald's report that a local focus should be established in
Limerick. That report provided a very clear road map for the way
forward in tackling the problem, and they need to provide the
resources needed to implement it," he said.

Mr Quinlivan feels that the Mid-West Regional Drugs Task Force,
establishedunder the National Drug Strategy, does not go far enough to
address problems in the Limerick urban area.

He pointed to heroin abuse in the city as a particularly acute issue.
Last month, the Limerick Leader reported that heroin addicts were
shoplifting large amounts of tinfoil and using it to smoke the drug.

Mr Quinlivan pointed to these reports, as well as figures showing that
37 per cent of Limerick drug users abuse heroin, as evidence enough
that the Government and Minister of State Pat Carey should act now.

"As the minister responsible, Pat Carey should have grasped the nettle
immediately. I warned months ago that the situation was spiralling out
of control, with heroin especially getting a grip in the city, and
urged his predecessor to set up a local drugs taskforce. Many Limerick
people and the local media have noted the telltale signs of drug abuse
in the city," he said.