221 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Justice the amount and estimated street value of illegal drugs seized in Cork to date in 1996; the way in which such figures compare with the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23254/96]

The following table sets our the information supplied to me by the Garda authorities on the amount of drugs seized by them in Cork from 1991 to 30 September 1996 by weight or, in the case of cannabis plants, LSD tablets and ecstasy tablets, the number of items.

The figures for 1996 on the attached table relate to the period up to 30 September 1996 and are not yet finalised. The 1996 figures cannot, therefore, be directly compared with those for the previous five years.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the normal measure used to quantify amounts of drugs seized is by reference to the weight of the substance or the number of items. The so-called "street value" of drugs is an imprecise measure and does not allow for comparison on a year by year basis.