Is the Minister aware of the concern being felt by police organisations, parents' organisations and different organisations here in the city and throughout the country at the increase in the use of drugs, the number of drug pushers and the availability of drugs not alone in Dublin but in nearly every town throughout Ireland? What action, if any, are the Government taking to deal with this serious problem?

With regard to what the Deputy says, I have met a group, the Catholic Parents Secondary Schools Children's Association and have had a long discussion with them on this subject. They are concerned. I have had discussions with the Garda Commissioner in this area and, as I have said before in this House, I have asked the Commissioner to deploy whatever number of manpower is necessary to deal with this problem, which concerns everybody in this country and is a serious one. On it we have an obligation to protect our young people, our school children in particular. Also, because this scene is a profitable one and anywhere there are large profits and a fast buck turnover the criminal will find his way into it, we are concerned, as every member of this House should be. The parents play an exceptionally important role, and very shortly I hope to take measures or have measures finalised which I can take which will bring about an educational programme for the parents of the children who have to be protected, because they play a role even major to the role the guards play in this.

I thank the Minister for his reply and am delighted that the Government are taking steps to see that there are sufficient police to deal with it, because people claim that drug pushers in the city and throughout the country are getting away with murder at present and not enough of them are apprehended.

The comments being made to me now by the Deputy have been made to me by the parents' association whom I met and I have passed these comments on to the Garda Commissioner, again with my view that whatever manpower is necessary to deal with it or to specialise in it he should take and use in this area.

Would the Minister, in view of his expressed concern, give an undertaking to this House to allocate whatever extra resources in both manpower and finance are necessary to the Drug Squad and other people involved in combatting this evil?

I say "yes" to the Deputy for the reason that I believe that this is the lowest area that a criminal could operate in because the victims are victims for ever more and their lives are destroyed.

Will the Minister give them——

I will give them anything they ask for in this area, and gladly.