•In 2004 there were 9,868 controlled drug offences in Ireland. In 2010 that had more than doubled to 20,057.

•Last year a record 537 people passed through the courts charged with cultivating or manufacturing drugs compared to just 38 people in 2004.

•Six years ago, 2,659 people were prosecuted for the sale or supply of drugs. Last year that figure soared to 4,181.

•The number of people prosecuted for possession of drugs went from for 7,138 in 2004 to 14,547 last year.

• Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in Ireland. The number of adults who reported using cannabis at some point in their lives increased from 17pc in 2002/3 to 22pc in 2006/7.

•Vintners in Waterford have this month printed 10,000 beer mats listing places where users of the class A drug heroin can get help. The initiative is being run in conjunction with the gardai

•Ireland has an estimated 20,000 heroin users, with 15,000 in Dublin

•Some 63pc of drug takers seeking treatment in Ireland use heroin, which is much higher than the EU average of 4pc.

•Twice as many seizures of cocaine are being made in Ireland per head of population than the EU average. Figures show there were 59 cocaine hauls per 100,000 people here in 2007, compared to the EU average of 24.

Spain -- the main entry point for cocaine into Europe -- had by far the highest number of seizures per capita (149).

But Ireland was higher than Belgium (52) and Britain (51).

Indo Review