'Vast majority' of large quantity drug possession sentences avoid 10-year minimum jail term

The Criminal Justice Act 1999 lays down a 10-year minimum sentence for possession of drugs worth more than €13,000, and also for the importation of drugs over that amount.

The vast majority of people caught with large quantities of drugs are not given the minimum sentence of 10 years, an official report shows.

The Department of Justice review found just 6% of those behind bars for drug supply offences are serving sentences of more than 10 years.