A Republican Journal Issue 1: February, 2003 Analysis Dublin: drug epidemic worsens a. Physical By Jeanette Cullen b. Psychological Analysis c. Emotional Since the major influx of heroin into Inner Unless the individual is willing to City Dublin in the early 1980s, some 20+ address their problems on these three lev- Dublin - drug epidemic worsens: years ago, little has changed. Consecutive els, recovery will never be complete. In Community worker Jeanette Cullen on the governments have yet to admit that Dublin most cases, the individual opts for a Dublin government’s failure to tackle drug has a major drug problem. The reality is Methadone Programme, which helps addiction: page 2 that one service provider, namely the him/her stabilise from heroin or cocaine. Merchants Quay Project, catered for 2,702 Methadone itself is a drug, and can be seen people who presented themselves during as a more addictive drug than heroin. While Tribunal points to rampant Garda cor- 2002. Of these over 2,000 were male and individuals can and so stabilise, they are rution: 2002 was a bad year for the Gardai. above the age of 18. often left on the treatment for indefinite Will 2003 be worse? asks Malcolm Kerins: When the problem began, drug-users sta- periods of time rather than having a specif- page 3 tistically were shown to be in the 18-19 age ic time-bound in which the individual group. This age profile has changed to as knows the end point of their treatment. The ‘72 state papers... : Ethnic cleansing, young as 12 years of Consequently, cross- secret negotiations, Free State collusion - age starting on a drug ‘In the early 80s in one of addiction from heroin the newly released ‘72 state papers have it career to people in their to methadone would late 30s starting to use the Inner City secondary appear to be inadver- all, writes Colm Byrne: page 4 drugs for the first time. schools, of the first-year tently encouraged. While treatment This situation arises Democracy in action?: US war planes in services have changed, students, which comprised because there are not Shannon signal demise of Irish neutrality, with more concentra- thirty students, seven sufficient treatment argues Brian Moore: page 5 tion on community services available based drug teams and remain alive today. The together with close Feature programmes, the reality deaths were due to over- evaluation of individu- is that there remains a als to measure their constant struggle for doses and AIDS.’ progress or lack of Interview with republican prisoners: A funding to cater for same. Therefore, comprehensive interview with the republi- these programmes. There is also an intense methadone gives a false sense of real treat- can POWs in Portlaoise Gaol : pages need to further fund intervention and edu- ment. 6,7&11 cation at all levels. The need for communi- For the user him/herself, it is not just a ty service provision is growing rapidly question of stabilising but also of dealing while the resources to underwrite costs are with the emotional retardation resulting Open Forum constantly being restricted. directly from drug abuse, together with Local community drug teams rely heav- acknowledging the impact they have had on On another man’s word: Portlaoise POW ily on the local Drugs Task Force and the their families, friends and communities. Sean Mulligan on the Special Criminal local Health Board to underwrite the costs While continuing on methadone 'treatment' of providing such community services. The this type of emotional recovery cannot take Court: page 8 constraints in which the funding providers place. operate ultimately affect the communities Without proper acknowledgement from in most need of financial support. government that the drug problem in Editorial According to statistics, the South Inner Dublin has reached epidemic proportions, City has the highest number of drug users, attempts to address the problem will remain Republicanism - a failed ideology? : Is HIV cases and AIDS patients in Europe per under funded and poorly planned. This nat- there a future for republicanism in Irish head of population. The impact on families urally has a knock-on impact on local com- goes without saying. It is not uncommon munity drug teams. politics? : page 9 for one family to bury more than one child. Likewise, drug-awareness needs to It is actually more likely to find a grandpar- become part of the National Education International ent raising a child due to the loss of his/her Curriculum from primary school upwards, parents to drugs. In the early 80s in one of especially as the age for starting drug abuse the Inner City secondary schools, of the has gotten younger over the years. Children The scourging of Iraq: As it is becomes first-year students, which comprised thirty need to be made aware of the reality and the increasingly likely that the United States students, seven remain alive today. The horror of drug addiction if we are to protect and its allies will soon launch a war against deaths were due to overdoses and AIDS. them. Iraq, Liam Grogan, a Portlaoise POW, argues why this war must be opposed.: Treatment Jeanette Cullen is a community worker page 10 The reality is that a person entering a pro- in the South Inner City. She is currently gramme of recovery needs the following Community Welfare Officer with the supports: Connolly Information Centre. 2 : Forum Magazine : February 2003 www.irij.net Analysis Tribunal points to rampant Garda corruption hide? And what has changed since June eral lack of co-operation" from the Gardai By Malcolm Kerins 2001 when Mr. Byrne said, 'You can be involved. P.J. Stone, of the Garda assured of one thing, that all aspects will be Representative Association, has expressed pursued by me. I take this very seriously'. confidence in the internal investigation, Whether it's illegal payments to politicians, Perhaps someone should remind which probably makes him the only person the flouting of the tax laws by the wealthy Commissioner Byrne that he will be judged in the state confident of a just outcome. It's or the Catholic Church covering up its more by his actions than his words. a pity, therefore, the membership of his many sex scandals, Ireland has become a It would be a mistake, however, to think association are doing their best to impede place where corruption is seemingly that all the problems the Gardai are having the investigation. endemic in political, business and While both the allegations of religious life. Through all this, An corruption in Donegal and the Garda Siochana remained virtually Garda reaction to the May Day immune to allegations of corrup- protest are extraordinary, there are tion. But over recent months, the more sinister consequences to be Gardai's public façade has begun to considered. Since the foundation crumble, exposing an organisation of this state, the judiciary has that seems to be rotten to the core. regarded evidence given by mem- The Morris tribunal promised to bers of An Garda Siochana as be sensational but the opening state- being above reproach. But if ments, made in November 2002, members of the Gardai are capa- sent shock-waves throughout all ble of planting explosives to gain sections of Irish society. Claims that promotion, surely they are also three members of An Garda capable of perjuring themselves Siochana - Detective Sergeant Noel in court to achieve a desired McMahon, Detective Sergeant John result? White and Superintendent Kevin This isn't just supposition. Lennon - were involved in the Over recent years there have been bombing of Strabane courthouse May 2002: Gardai baton anti-capitalist protesters in Dublin several occasions when Garda evi- and the planting of "subversive dence has been called into ques- paraphernalia" in order to gain promotion are centred on Donegal. On May 6 2002, a tion. In the case of Colm Murphy, charged seemed beyond belief. But even more Reclaim The Streets demonstration was with offences relating to the Omagh bomb, damning was the attempt to frame both held in Dublin. This small group, of mainly Justice Barr sitting in the Special Criminal Frank McBrearty Senior and Junior with a young people, marched into Dame Street Court, had cause to describe Garda evi- crime, in which the Gardai have since been where they were set upon by up to 150 dence as "outrageous" and found that implicated, namely the murder of Richie baton-wielding Gardai. The result was that Gardai were guilty of "persistent lying on Barron in October of 1996. These revela- 12 of the protesters needed hospital treat- oath". Despite this, Colm Murphy was con- tions have sent a number of Gardai scram- ment. In scenes reminiscent of RUC behav- victed. The same judge was also critical of bling to save themselves with many giving iour in the north, Gardai removed their Gardai in the case of Paul Ward who was contradictory evidence about beatings in identification tags, which suggests a pre- charged with the murder of journalist, custody and the forging of statements. It is meditated nature to their actions, before Veronica Guerin. His conviction was later this contradictory evidence which exposes proceeding to reclaim the streets them- overturned. the Mafia-style corruption that exists in selves by indiscriminately beating people. It is very disturbing that both of these Donegal. But the question has to be asked: For the Gardai, the most embarrassing men were convicted despite major short- Is this corruption localised or does it exist aspect of all this is that they acted in full falls in the prosecutions' cases. It seems to throughout An Garda Siochana as a whole? view of television cameras.