DUBLIN'S inner city is facing a potentially grave drug problem with a growth in the use of crack cocaine, a Dail committee has been told.
Garda Sgt John O'Driscoll, attached to a north inner city drug unit, said although there was no evidence of people selling crack on the street, cocaine was being "baked in users' homes to make crack for their own use.
It is potentially the worst problem we could have in this country", he told the drugs sub committee of the Dail's Legislation and Security Committee.
There was "a possibility, at least, of a serious problem developing in relation to crack cocaine".
Sgt O'Driscoll told the committee he was one of two sergeants and 12 gardai who make up the drug unit in the north central division in Dublin.
Pressed by Ms Liz O'Donnell (PD) as to whether he considered this was adequate manpower for dealing with the drug problem in the area, Sgt O'Driscoll said other units were available for assistance. There was a crime task force of three sergeants and 20 gardai and also three district detective units, so it would be wrong to suggest that only 14 people were tackling the drug problem.
Sgt O Driscoll was asked to estimate how many people were involved in the illegal drug trade in the city. He said he did not have figures to hand but would supply some to the committee later. When asked by Dr Michael Woods (FF) if it would amount to "thousands" of people, he agreed it would be in that range.
Sgt O'Driscoll said people previously involved in petty street crime now felt it worth their while to become involved in drugs.
Dealers stood to make so much money that, even when they took into account the chances of getting caught and the potential penalties, they still considered drug dealing worth the risk.
He told the committee that legislation for detention of suspected dealers for up to seven days was welcome. Traffickers and street dealers were usually carrying drugs internally and the longer period of detention would enable the drugs to be recovered.
Mr John O'Donoghue (FF) called on the Taoiseach to provide a Minister of State to act as liaison between the committee and the Government. He said there had been no replies to his letters to the Taoiseach on the issue.
Mr Tony Gregory (Ind) said it was a very poor reflection on the attitude of the Government to the drug problem that no such Minister had been provided.