Two Laois TDs have had their say on drug crime policy in the county.
Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Sean Fleming, and Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley were speaking at the Joint Policing Committee meeting this week.
Deputy Stanley looked for clarification on staffing numbers in the Laois Drug Squad, querying why the county had significantly lower numbers than comparable counties.
The Deputy also pressed Garda representatives as to the Laois Drug Squad’s lack of a Garda Inspector and Detective.
Garda Superintendent Eamon Curley reassured Deputy Stanley that the figures quoted were a misinterpretation of figures.
Supt Curley said that some Garda are mislabeled due to working on a rotational basis and that Laois’s allocation of one Sergant and five Garda is more in line with comparable counties.
Deputy Stanley welcomed the clarification and said it would be helpful for the public to hear.
Fianna Fáil TD, Sean Fleming welcomed the figures presented by Garda representatives as part of the JPC Implementation Plan, thanking the Garda for their report.
Deputy Fleming suggested An Garda Síochána could go a step further in the drug reduction policies by increasing educational awareness.
The Deputy suggested a greater presence in secondary schools for teenagers, which is currently part of the Garda initiative HEEB.
HEED, which stands for Health, Education, Enforcement and Driving, is a drugs awareness program, aimed at educating the young people of Ireland about the dangers and realities of narcotics.
Deputy Fleming said a better level of education and awareness about drugs would give people the confidence not to get involved with narcotics.
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 and Brian Stanley, TD (Sinn Féin) have had their say on drug crime policy in County Laois.){kind=link}