If every garda in the Mayo division was assigned to the county’s drugs unit, it would not be enough to deal with the drug problem in the county, according to Ballina Independent councillor Gerry Ginty.

The councillor was speaking at the County  Joint Policing Committee meeting on Friday last, held in the new Leeson Enterprise Centre in Westport.

Cannibis is by far the most prevalent illegal substance used across the county, followed by cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine, according to Detective Sergeant Jim Cadden of the Mayo Drugs Unit.

Detective Cadden addressed the members of Mayo joint policing committee on Friday – the committee includes representatives of the gardai, mayo county council officials and councillors, together with Oireachtas members and community representatives.

The detective outlined the success of the Mayo Drugs Unit in terms of recent seizures of illegal substances and explained the difficulties in securing search warrants to raid family homes and public premises for drugs.

He acknowlwdged the part the general public play in informing gardai about suspicious activity around grow houses and drug offences generally.

The Chief Superintendent for Mayo Pat Diskin urged anyone who may have any suspicions about illegal drug activity to contact the gardai. He said explained that you don’t need proof to call. It’s up to the gardai to do their own research after they receive information.

A number of councillors said there wasn’t a town or a village in the county where illegal substances are not available.

Cllr Gerry Ginty said he highlighted a drugs problem in Ballina 40 years ago, and he said he was dismissed at the time by the local media. On Friday,he spoke of 12/13 children being used as runners in the drug business. He called on judges to be tougher on those brought before them on drug related charges and concluded that if every garda in Mayo was assigned to the county Drugs Unit  - that it would not be enough to deal with the problem.

Sinn Fein Senator Rose Conway Walsh said she is angry that the drug problem in towns across the county is not taken seriously enough, claiming many are in denial. She called for a pilot project to be initiated where a range of relevant groups in a town might contribute to the information gathering exercise.

Fine Gael Senator Michelle Mulherin said a Drugs Road Show similar to the very successful Road Safety Roadshow in Mayo should be established so that young people could see the potential impact of drug use on themselves and their families.