Call for Garda dog units to counter drug threat

There has been a call for specialised Garda dog units to be sanctioned for Kerry to counter the threat of drug dealers using the sprawling coastline and local airport to import illegal substances.

A local councillor said particular attention needs to be paid to the coastline around South Kerry which is an obvious target area for ruthless drug barons anxious to capitalise on summertime population explosions in tourist towns like Killarney.

Cllr Donal Grady has asked Killarney Town Council officials to make urgent representations to the Government and the Garda Commissioner on the matter before the tourist season starts. He said there is a real need for two highly-trained dog units to patrol the coastline on an ongoing basis as well as conducting regular on-the-spot checks at the arrivals hall at Kerry Airport.

“Kerry is wide open to the threat of drug importation and, at the moment, gardaí are totally relying on observant local residents to make a phone call if they see anything suspicious. It’s not the right way to go about it,” Mr Grady said.

He added that drug abuse has become a serious issue in every town and village in Kerry and there is an onus on the authorities to do everything possible to tackle the problem.

“As it stands, the coastline all around Kerry is wide open to drug dealers and our ports and harbours are largely unmanned.”