A very serious drug turf war is going on between two criminal gangs based mainly in Drogheda, with members of both gangs living locally in Louth and Meath. This began in July 2018 when a drug dealer was shot and survived. A man was subsequently murdered in Clogherhead in August, and another man was recently shot dead in a lovely quiet cul-de-sac in Bettystown. The Garda and I suspect that these gangs are becoming more experienced and are not afraid of anyone in the area. I welcome the additional Garda resources given to Drogheda. The Garda knows what is going on, but it does not have the resources to deal with it. I beg the Taoiseach to address this before it gets out of hand. People around Drogheda, Bettystown and Clogherhead are very concerned about what is happening. The Taoiseach has it in his gift to nip this in the bud once and for all before it becomes more serious. I am asking him, on behalf of the people of Louth and east Meath, to give more resources to the Garda in the area.

Both the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, and I have visited Drogheda in the last few months to hear about the situation first-hand from both the Garda and people living in the area. Additional resources have been provided by the Garda Commissioner, and it is up to him to decide whether additional resources can be provided in the next few weeks. However, next year's budget for the Garda is being increased substantially to €1.88 billion. It is right and appropriate that the Garda Commissioner, rather than politicians, should decide how best to deploy those resources.