Speaking ahead of the debate the DUP MP said, “The impact of organised criminals on communities right across these islands is devastating. Young people in particular are affected by the activities of these gangs, and much of the supply and sale of drugs is organised on an industrial scale.
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee last year heard evidence of how paramilitaries were involved in this type of activity, and how they exploited young people, including on occasion, using street disorder as a mechanism to repay drug debts. The most recent Inspectorate report into the PSNI also highlighted the perception that child criminal exploitation isn’t a significant issue in Northern Ireland, but this simply isn’t the case.
It is a problem which is multi-layered, but which will only be dealt with by a comprehensive confrontation of the business empires that exist to distribute these drugs. There was an enormous 150million euro haul of drugs seized off the coast of the Irish Republic in September. We must always continue to shine a light into these areas and ensure that communities are never left behind in the hands of those who are trying to destroy them.”