Children as young as six are now being paid to courier drugs around some Dublin neighbourhoods, an Oireachtas Committee has been told.
Labour's Mary Upton TD told an Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs that "six- and seven-year-olds are being used as runners for drug dealers". Ms Upton said reliable sources had informed her small children were being bribed to ferry drugs for small amounts of money and commented that the "chain of command" in the drug trade reached all ages.
The deputy, based in the Dublin South Central constituency, declined to name the specific area affected, but urged the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Drugs Strategy, Pat Carey, to intervene and put in more family supports for such "totally innocent kids" who already come from dysfunctional homes. Unless they receive increased assistance and enhanced care facilities, they will continue to "become victims of older gangsters", said Ms Upton.
Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fáil) described the drug problem in Ireland as "a virtual national emergency" and said it is "time for tough measures". He also condemned the "subtle glamorisation" of drugs by some quarters in Ireland.
Mr Ó Murchú said towns around Ireland were being ravaged, young people's lives were being destroyed on a regular basis and the problem needed to be tackled once and for all.
At the hearing, Mr Carey told Ms Upton breakfast clubs and after-schools projects were being run to try help vulnerable children in disadvantaged areas.
He also revealed he has been in talks with Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan on further extending the work of the drug court in Dublin.
The Green Party's Mary White told the committee that on two recent personal taxi journeys in Dublin, drivers said drug dealing had taken place in the back of their vehicles, but the drivers were afraid to look around.
In her own constituency of Carlow/Kilkenny, she heard cab drivers had found "drugs of one sort or another on the back seat or the floor", while cleaning their cars.
Fine Gael's John O'Mahony called for more funding for drug education programmes in schools and cited a case where a specialist was paid more than €700 for a day's seminar and pupils had to pay between €5 and €7 to attend.
When asked by Michael Kennedy TD (FF) if Bono could be approached to lend his name to a campaign against drugs, Mr Carey replied a "number of individuals have offered services", citing sports figures in particular as important role models.
Mr Carey said the challenge posed by cocaine use in particular was significant, but said he was confident the Government would meet the challenge.