Calls made in the Dáil for more gardaí in Tipperary as drug crime continues to grow

Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney is urging the Government to step up its response to the illegal drug trade in the Mid-West, as concerns mount over the limited Garda resources available to communities in counties Tipperary and Clare.

Figures released to Deputy Cooney show that just 18 Gardaí are assigned to the Tipperary/Clare Divisional Drugs Unit, which is responsible for policing a vast area that includes Carrick-on-Suir, Clonmel, and other parts of South Tipperary, as well as Clare.

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In response to a Parliamentary Question (PQ), Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan confirmed that the Divisional Drugs Unit consists of 15 Gardaí and 3 Sergeants, covering a division that stretches from Loop Head in West Clare to the far reaches of South Tipperary.

“Tackling drug dealing and targeting the work of organised crime groups, who inflict intimidation, violence, and misery on families and communities across Ireland, must be a top priority for this Government,” Deputy Cooney said.

While he welcomed national measures aimed at curbing drug crime, Deputy Cooney stressed that rural and regional areas like Tipperary urgently need greater frontline support.

“I fully support the measures being taken at national level as part of Government plans to tackle illegal drug use, but there is a need for greater resourcing of our Drugs Units.

“Measures such as increasing the maximum sentences for those who direct gangland and drug-related crime, and introducing initiatives aimed at breaking the link between gangs and the children they try to recruit, are welcome,” he explained.

“However, the resourcing of our Drugs Units remains our most effective tool for taking drugs off our streets and cracking down on those directly engaged in drug trafficking.”

He noted that the Drugs Unit serving Tipperary and Clare has made important gains, but warned that without extra support, those efforts could be undermined.

“The Clare/Tipperary Divisional Drugs Unit has been doing outstanding work in tackling the scourge of illegal drugs in our communities — but they urgently need more resources to sustain and strengthen that effort.

"I am calling on the Minister for Justice and Garda management to allocate additional personnel and resources to the Divisional Drugs Unit to support the great work they are doing as highlighted in recent significant seizures.

"We need to ensure that Gardaí on the front lines of this fight have the tools, support, and numbers required to disrupt drug networks, protect our young people, and safeguard our towns and rural communities.”

With drug misuse affecting lives and families in both urban and rural parts of Tipperary, Deputy Cooney warned that the impact is being felt far beyond the country's largest cities.

“Drugs are destroying lives and tearing families apart. A strong, well-resourced Divisional Drugs Unit is critical to turning the tide and restoring a sense of safety and security across Clare and Tipperary,” he added.

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