Tackling drug-related intimidation
Only 10 per cent of drug-related intimidation cases were reported to An Garda Síochána for the period 2024-2025, a report has found.
The report, Drug-related intimidation in Ireland: the first data report from the national DRIVE Project, published in May 2026, finds 1,027 cases of drug-related intimidation (DRI) were reported to the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) in 2024-2025.
The DRIVE (Drug Related Intimidation and Violence Engagement) project is funded by the Department of Health with the objective of supporting those experiencing drug-related intimidation. The project is designed to aid users to receive non-judgemental, confidential support and access to services.
The report highlights that cases of DRI were reported across all Health Service Executive (HSE) areas, with the most prevalent area being HSE Dublin and North East, accounting for 29.4 per cent of reports.
The main reason given for referral and treatment was drug use, equating to 71 per cent. The most common drug reported was cocaine (29.9 per cent), with cannabis being the second most prevalent (11.0 per cent), and opioids (10.3 per cent) being third.
Cases involving individuals living in stable accommodation equated to 74.6 per cent of reports. 62.7 per cent of cases reporting DRI stated they were currently living with family members, including children, which indicating “potential hidden harm within households”, according to the report.
The report discusses the wide range of intimidation factors reported, with ‘threats to the individual’ accounting for over two-thirds (64.2 per cent) of intimidation used.
‘Threats to family’ was the second largest intimidation factor used (25.1 per cent), with ‘violence to the individual’ the third most common intimidation factor, accounting for 19.7 per cent.
Recommendations
The report makes four main recommendations intended to strengthen the project, improve data coverage and quality, and enhance safety for individuals and families experiencing DRI.
Recommendations include the need to strengthen supports for individuals and families experiencing DRI. This would include the continued expansion of nationwide access to evidence-based drug and alcohol supports, ensuring services have safety protocols and referral pathways.
The enhancement of prevention and community-level interventions is the second recommendation. This would include the development of targeted prevention initiatives focused on groups most at risk of becoming perpetrators of DRI, alongside the promotion of the DRIVE project nationally through public services.
The third recommendation includes the strengthening of interagency collaboration and policy development. For this to be achieved, the report recommends the use of emerging DRI data to aid in informing policy and legislative reform which would strengthen protections and reduce impact and incidence of DRI, along with enhancing information-sharing systems between organisations such as An Garda Síochána and relevant stakeholders.
The final recommendation is using the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) as a model for DRI monitoring. This will include the rollout of training to support data collection to improve data coverage and quality, and support for continued development and implementation of the DRIVE model as a national framework
Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD says: “We want people who are affected by this to know that they are not alone. As this report demonstrates, this is an issue affecting every community and people from all walks of life.”
