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Conor Ó Mearáin

€11m in drugs seized this month in gardaí's 'relentless pursuit' of organised criminals

Interim Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan said the force is determined to focus on drugs and organised crime.

GARDAÍ SEIZED €11 million worth of drugs in the last month alone.

Acting Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan revealed this at the Garda Representative Association Conference in Killarney this evening, telling reporters the force is “determined to focus on drugs and organised crime.”

Ahead of her speech to the rank and file garda delegates she said: “This month alone, we have seized a substantial amount of drugs, over €11 million worth of heroin, cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy and a significant number of firearms – some very high-calibre firearms.

We’re relentless in our pursuit of people who try to profit from drugs and organised crime.

She said many of the people involved in drug crime are also smuggling cigarettes and firearms into the country and there are “dedicated resources” to deal with that.

GRA President John Parker, begged to differ, telling delegates in his speech that for every major drug seizure in the country, there were just as many “slipping through the net” because of poor resourcing.

“The actual financial situation is that the investigation of major incidents, policing high profile events or emergencies is costly and a large drain on the funding of routine day to day policing,” he said.

He said funds  are being spent on major investigations but then gardaí are left “scrapping the bottom of the barrel” and cutting back on routine patrols.

We’ll be bringing you the latest news from the conference in Killarney over the next couple of days so keep your eyes peeled. You can also follow @michellehtweet for updates throughout the day. 

Read: Gardaí want summer shirts and more rigid handcuffs…>

Read: 51 bomb disposal callouts this year and ‘we receive no training, no guidelines – nothing’>

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19 Comments
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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:47 AM

    In fairness, workers out clearing roads are doing an amazing job. I had to detour around large fallen trees several times yesterday, and twenty minutes later one tree was gone and another was being removed. Hats off :)

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    Mute Norman Hunter
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:28 AM

    Duvet day.

    129
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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:32 AM

    Any news on that tree we have entered for the “tree of the year” competition. Is it still standing.

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    Mute Emily O Conor
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:19 AM

    Stay safe out there San Diego….

    61
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    Mute Nigel Murphy
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:38 AM

    How come in America when there’s a major storm they shut down everything, transport , schools , flights etc, for the safety of the public, yesterday they should have done the same here, especially for families taking kids to schools, its amazing there was no one seriously hurt

    99
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    Mute jay kelly
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:41 AM

    Sure their be nothin done…

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    Mute D1
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:54 AM

    Because we are adults and should be capable of thinking of our own safety and the safety of our family. I did not need to be told to stay in unless it was an absolute necessity to go out. I looked out the window and came to that conclusion all by myself.

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    Mute John Johnson
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    Feb 13th 2014, 9:00 AM

    Go live in America so Nigel.

    70
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    Mute Pat Mustard
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    Feb 13th 2014, 9:18 AM

    Nigel as bad as the storm in Ireland was yesterday the storms in America are far more extreme and that’s when they implement full shutdowns.

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    Mute Nigel Murphy
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    Feb 13th 2014, 10:21 AM

    160kph gusts is extreme enough , I know some schools and companies that allowed people to stay at home and be safe and it was the first red alert storm we had. As I said its lucky there were no serious injuries

    25
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    Mute Energy Elephant
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:21 AM

    We need to make sure businesses (and home) are prepared for these types of events. It’s quite likely they will occur more often than we are used to seeing.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKystuzj0kM#t=0

    Always make sure you have a plan B!

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    Mute Alan Benny Butler
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    Feb 13th 2014, 10:27 AM

    Massive power cuts… Cue a baby boom in 9 months time !

    51
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    Mute Just4 TheJournal
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:30 AM

    Feic it I hate being in Dublin. Back home the local FF-voting farmer is probably cutting up all the fallen trees on the road instead of me.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Feb 13th 2014, 9:14 AM

    Well feck off then, Dublin would be better off without you

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Feb 13th 2014, 12:53 PM

    On the subject of falling trees could not help but notice most of the men using chainsaws except The professional guys which were few did not have any H/S gear on which is a must when operating a chainsaw .

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    Mute Just4 TheJournal
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    Feb 13th 2014, 3:01 PM

    I wouldnt chance that myself but each to their own. Up in Dublin you probably need a 4 year degree before you’re allowed near a chainsaw

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    Mute James
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    Feb 13th 2014, 6:02 PM

    Alan whist, you’re in Ireland now sonny

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Feb 13th 2014, 6:13 PM

    No you don’t but what you do need is some good gear such as a helmet gloves trousers anyone ever seen what a chainsaw do to you if something goes wrong and all red thumbs for me so I’m not surprised of the accidents happen with chainsaws.

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    Mute Damian O'Brien
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    Feb 13th 2014, 10:15 AM

    No power in Ballon Co. Carlow. Its been off since 2.00 pm yesterday. Loads of snow, well an inch and a half. Part of my roof is now somewhere in Wicklow, but nobody seriously hurt around the country. It says a lot that people did in the main use common sense yesterday.

    The warnings from Met Eireann were not up to scratch, I knew only from looking at the weather forum on boards.ie that it was going to be a bad one.

    Now for a day in front of the fire. Tis all good.

    33
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    Mute Paul Somers
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:58 AM

    Keep an eye out for a shed roof, trampoline, greenhouse and a few fence pannels, they should be near Ballon now. No snow or electricity in Ballycarney. Time to cut up some fire wood, enough trees down.

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    Mute Kevin Smyth
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    Feb 14th 2014, 9:25 AM

    You know what they say: “Make hay while the sun shines.” I think it applies here.

    Floods are a great time to wash the car. Plenty of water around to rinse her off.

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    Mute Frank O'Connor
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:35 AM

    Limerick’s city & county council staff, firemen, gardai & ambulance personnel have done a fantastic job over the last 24 hours keeping roads clear and attending to any injuries in those extreme conditions. Well done to you all.

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    Mute Jill Antrop
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:28 AM

    Show showers? Any tickets left?

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    Mute Left_Wing_Steve©
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:35 AM

    Champion, we just ran out of firewood, anybody got a fallen tree just ring leftwingsteve

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    Mute Steve
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:42 AM

    Irish people and work ?? in the same sentence. HAHAHAH.

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    Mute Norman Hunter
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:47 AM

    Idiots with internet access.

    106
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    Mute Alice Murnaghan
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    Feb 13th 2014, 2:09 PM

    Not all irish people are in that bracket , I worked for over 21yrs and my husband since he was 16yrs.yes their are people who are that bracket off living on the dole never worked. But don’t tar everyone with being dossiers .

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    Mute Saoirse McCarthy
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:04 AM

    And we will do it all again tomorrow!!

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    Mute Paddy O'Reilly
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:31 AM

    Caption competition for the fireman on his phone:

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    Mute Paddy O'Reilly
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:33 AM

    “Where did I put that chainsaw app… Ooh Flappy Bird!”

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    Mute duckduckduck
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:36 AM

    This tree is big, that one is far away

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    Mute Up Yours
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:47 AM

    “No one’s looking, I’ll quickly snap chat a picture of my mickey to a few the lads.”

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    Mute dorothy giselsson
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:03 AM

    Now it’s snowing in Leitrim. Great.

    8
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    Mute Jill Antrop
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:58 AM

    I was checking the weather forecast yesterday nearly every 5 min to see if anything would go near kilkenny. As they gave a red alert for cork and kerry only i was surprised to see kilkenny only got a yellow alert. By the time the storm passed kilkenny the met uplifted it to red. If hurricane winds are expected and if you clearly can see the growing storm on sattelite pictures surely you would think they give the whole country a red alert? Also some local radio urged people to move their cars,who were parked under a tree, during the peak of the storm is not very clever. Thats like saying to look for shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm

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    Mute wright sean
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    Feb 13th 2014, 12:37 PM

    How do i get to work ??

    You mean how do them muck savages collect their dole

    4
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    Mute Ossi Fritsche
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    Feb 13th 2014, 10:55 AM

    Nasty in Killarney last night just cycled in town trees fallen at Port Road by Cathedral be careful.

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    Mute Su Murray
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    Feb 14th 2014, 11:24 AM

    Could Polymer crystals be used as part of water barriers but also to store water for future use? One pound of the crystals holds about 50 gallons of water.

    1
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