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The Journal
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Journal
Taoiseach says there ‘could be link' between falling alcohol consumption and increased cocaine use
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said there 'could very well be a link' between declining alcohol consumption and increased cocaine use in Ireland. He added that such a connection 'would be very worrying'. Martin was speaking to reporters in Japan ahead of the opening of a new Irish Embassy in Tokyo. Yesterday, two men were arrested after they were allegedly caught bringing a huge quantity of cocaine ashore in west Cork. The incident happened off Broad Strand, Courtmacsherry and an estimated €30m worth of suspected cocaine was seized following a two-day drugs interdiction operation. Martin was asked about this seizure, in addition to figures showing that Ireland is one of the biggest cocaine users in Europe. Cocaine was the main drug in almost 40% of cases of treatment for problem drug use last year – a 7% increase on 2023's figures – according to a report by the Health Research Board. Ireland also has one of the highest prevalence rates of cocaine use in Europe, with 8.3% of adults reporting that they had tried cocaine in a 2019 survey. But while cocaine use is rising, alcohol consumption has been trending downwards for 25 years. A report commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland showed that average alcohol consumption per adult fell by 4.5% last year to 9.49 litres of pure alcohol. This is a drop of more than one third (34.3%) since 2001. When asked if there is a link between falling alcohol consumption and increasing drug use, Martin said 'there could very well be a link between the two and that would be very worrying'. He added that there needs to be 'more scientific analysis' of the issue. Martin was also asked if cocaine use is becoming an 'epidemic' in Ireland, and replied: 'I believe it is.' He added: 'From what I hear anecdotally, the use and prevalence of cocaine use has grown significantly and that is very worrying in terms of the health of the nation, for younger people in particular. 'It's very bad for one's health, apart from behavioural traits that can grow from it.' And while Martin welcomed the 'significant' decrease in alcohol consumption over the past 25 years, he noted that there 'clearly is an increase in drug use'. 'Drugs kill people and we have to look at that from a Drug Harm Reduction Strategy and work with the Ministers for Health and Justice and others to try and really focus in on this issue.' Meanwhile, Martin said that the cocaine seized in Courtmacsherry was headed for Britain and remarked: 'It's not just Ireland, it's everywhere.' He also noted that yesterday's cocaine seizure in Courtmacsherry is 'not the first time this location has seen a huge consignment'. In 2023, the largest seizure in the history of the State saw 2.2 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated €157 million seized from the MV Matthew in Cork. Martin also praised the co-operation of gardaí, the Naval Forces and the Defence Forces in this week's Courtmacsherry seizure. 'What's wonderful is the integration and coordination of all the agencies, working with European agencies as well,' said Martin. 'Multidisciplinary teams are the best in any field of life – breakdown the silos and if you work together, you can really catch traffickers and this has been a highly effective operation.' Advertisement Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Commemoration service to mark 40th anniversary of Air India disaster taking place in West Cork
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN will attend a commemoration today to mark 40 years since the Air India disaster in West Cork. In June 1985, Air India Flight 182 was brought down off the coast of Cork in what was the worst aviation disaster in Irish and Canadian history. Some 329 people were killed, including 29 families, the majority of whom were Canadians of Indian descent. The plane crashed as a result of a terrorist attack, and was the worst aviation act of terrorism until the 11 September attacks. An annual commemoration is held at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork. At the 20th commemoration of the disaster, Paul Martin became the first Canadian prime minister to visit the memorial. On RTÉ's Morning Ireland this morning, retired Irish Navy captain James Robinson spoke about how he and his crew helped to recover some of the bodies from the scene. He told the programme that they were working close to Co Kerry at 8am that morning when they picked up a radio message from Valentia Island that an aircraft had disappeared from radar screens. Advertisement The memorial commemorating the Air India disaster in Ahakista, West Cork. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'We straight away, headed towards the scene, not knowing at the time, as we went out there what nature of tragedy had taken place,' Robinson said. He said in the couple of hours it took them to reach the scene, they were preparing to rescue survivors. 'We were taking blankets out of the stores. I recall soup was being put on the stove in the galley, to warm people up. When we got to the scene, we very quickly became aware that we were in the business of recovering bodies and wreckage.' Robinson, who is attending the commemoration this morning, said he and his crew did not feel the impact of what had taken place right away as 'we had a job to do'. It was subsequently that the enormity of what had taken place dawned on us. There was a lot of anger that this devastation could be wrought on so many innocent civilians. 'But also, I felt very great pride in my crew. They were young Irish people who did a remarkable job and asked for nothing in return.' When Taoiseach Micheál Martin offered his condolences to the families of those killed after an Air India plane crashed earlier this month, he drew comparisons between the two tragedies. 'All of us who experienced that had a sense of trauma that people go through when crashes of this kind happen,' he said. The 2025 Air India flight struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. The sole survivor was Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, who said it was 'a miracle' he survived. With reporting from Press Assocation Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Micheál Martin pleads for major powers to help de-escalate Israel-Iran conflict
TAOISEACH Micheál Martin urged world powers to press for an urgent de-escalation of conflict in the Middle East as he warned the violence between Israel and Gaza, Lebanon and Iran was threatening to undermine the rules-based international order. Mr Martin warned that the escalating conflicts were very dangerous and deeply worrying - and he said global powers had to work together to achieve an end to the horrors in the Middle East. He acknowledged the United Nations had been undermined and its influence was waning before international eyes. "It is deeply concerning that we have so much conflict in the Middle East," he said. "It is dangerous in terms of its impact on civilian populations in the first instance. We see the horrors of Gaza - Syria is coming out of the embers of a horrible civil war. "A new Government is installed there endeavouring to find and create some stability - we have instability and war in Lebanon, a new Government there trying to create stability and sustainable life for people in Lebanon. "We have the appalling settlements in the West Bank. "Iran should have engaged a long time ago on its nuclear programme and to dismantling it. "But there has to be a return to a rules-based international order. At the moment it is receding before our very eyes. It is being eroded - the United Nations (UN) is being eroded and that is a matter of deep concern to us. "We want to see a peaceful resolution to the conflict - we believe in dialogue and we believe in diplomacy. So we would say - to the world powers in particular - to use their influence and stop the hostilities to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages. "And to get a huge surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza. "Also to bring about a cessation (of violence) and to de-escalate between Iran and Israel." Mr Martin urged Iran to engage with the international community over its nuclear programme and to help de-escalate tensions in the region. "It is important that they would continue to engage but the context now may make that very difficult,' he said. "They should have engaged, in my view, far more proactively in the past. "The International Atomic Energy Agency called it out during the week - but equally they said the bombing of nuclear installations is hugely concerning. There is the risk of widespread potential death and destruction. "The only sustainable way of ensuring peace is through dialogue and diplomacy, ultimately." Mr Martin welcomed the release of People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy from custody in Egypt after he was detained when he attempted to join a Gaza peace march in Rafah. Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris confirmed the release of Mr Murphy and a number of other Irish citizens on Friday evening. Mr Harris had liaised with Irish diplomats in Cairo as well as the Egyptian authorities over the detentions. "The situation is very fraught out there. Tensions are very high in Egypt and very high in Jordan. We believe people have an entitlement to peaceful protest and to engage in that," Mr Martin said. "How realistic it was to try to go through Rafah is another question? Let's all be honest and realistic about that - it was never going to happen. "I have been to Rafah myself - but when I was there as a Government minister there was a complex and a compound. That is all destroyed subsequently by the Israeli invasion. "The security situation on both sides of that border is very, very tense and volatile. There are challenges to marching right up to the Rafah border. "That said, people are entitled to peaceful protest and I am glad they have been released and we want their safe return - peaceful, legitimate protest is something that should always be facilitated by Governments." Mr Murphy has had his passport returned to him by the Egyptian authorities but said his phone was still held.
The Journal
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Taoiseach to attend cross-border business conference today with US trade wars looming
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN will meet business leaders from north and south of the border at a conference taking place against the backdrop of economic uncertainty driven by US trade and tariff policies. Martin will address the Joint Business Council All-island Business Conference in Dundalk today. The conference is centred around protecting all-island business in a new global environment, with heightened geopolitical disruption. The event will bring together more than 150 business leaders, stakeholders and public policymakers to focus on the 'interconnected and cost-effective ways that businesses operate on an all-island basis'. The conference is jointly held by businesses representative groups the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (Ibec). Advertisement They said businesses across the island are eager to see aligned policy support from both the UK and Irish governments that unlocks economic opportunities and broadens the benefits of cross-border cooperation. According to Ibec and the CBI, more must be done to strengthen and future-proof the all-island economy by enhancing collaboration around trade, infrastructure, sustainability, workforce integration, private investment and long-term resilience. Danny McCoy, CEO of Ibec, said: 'The restoration of the North-South Ministerial Council has cleared the way for improved cooperation across the island. 'However, the rise in global uncertainty stemming from US trade and tariff policies and growing geopolitical disruption means the all-island economy must focus on building resilience and deepening collaboration.' Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the CBI, said the conference comes at a critical time for businesses across Northern Ireland, Britain and the EU. She added: 'The disruptive impact of tariffs, tax retaliation, and a changing global order has only reinforced the urgent need to strengthen cross-border economic ties on the island of Ireland. 'In the current climate, policy stability and certainty are not optional but are prerequisites for investment in sectors that matter most to both of our economies, from manufacturing and agri-food to life sciences.
The Journal
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Taoiseach attends meeting of European leaders to discuss Ukraine and economic security
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN is among European leaders meeting today for a summit in Albania. The meeting of the European Political Community is taking place at the same time as delegations from Ukraine and Russia are due to meet for long-awaited talks in Turkey. At the top of the agenda for the discussions among European leaders is 'Europe's security and democratic resilience, including Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine'. Leaders are also due to discuss competitiveness and economic security, and mobility challenges and youth empowerment. The EPC, which brings together the members of the European Union and 20 other countries, was established in 2022 on the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Advertisement Ahead of the summit, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Russian President Vladimir Putin 'must pay the price for avoiding peace'. 'Putin's tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, (are) intolerable,' Starmer said. Martin, Macron and Starmer will be joined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Nato chief Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Russian and Ukrainian delegations are also due to meet in Istanbul for talks on ending the conflict in Ukraine. The EU and UK have both approved fresh sanctions on Russia's 'shadow' oil fleet over the past few days. Contains additional reporting from AFP Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
