Pubdate: Fri, 06 May 2016 Source: Irish Times, The (Ireland) Copyright: 2016 The Irish Times Contact: http://www.irishtimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/214 Author: Marie O'Halloran LEGALISING CANNABIS WOULD HIT CRIMINALS, SAYS DALY The way to deal with drugs gangs is through their bank accounts by legalising certain drugs, Independents 4 Change TD Clare Daly told the Dail. During a debate on criminal gangs following the feud in Dublin in which seven people have been killed, she said there were "massive profits in the drug trade as a result of our policy of prohibition". The Dublin Fingal TD said legalising cannabis would develop a revenue stream for the State and would also be a "lucrative first step into the profits of many of these gangs. If we really want to deal with them, we must deal with them through their bank accounts." She said it was almost unbelievable that in the last Dail, only eight TDs voted to legalise cannabis. Opening the debate, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald insisted that "however long it takes, and whatever resources are necessary, the State will take all measures open to it to bear down on the deadly activities of gangs". Ms Fitzgerald insisted "there is absolutely no question of any reduction in the resources or overtime being made available to gardai to counteract gang-related crime". Describing the "evil and sinister" cycle of gangland violence in Dublin as shocking and disturbing, Ms Fitzgerald said the "loss of life, including the life of those who played no part in gang-related feuds, is intolerable". The Minister pointed out that before the current spate of violence, gang-related murders had fallen from 17 in 2010 to three last year and the overall murder rate was down 43 per cent in the same period. Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Government needed to operate a taskforce approach to the north inner city and called on the Minister draw up a specific Garda resource plan for this part of Dublin. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom