Ireland is 'awash with drugs' with people in more affluent areas funding organised crime gangs, Ciara Kelly has claimed.

The Newstalk Breakfast presenter was speaking as the Health Research Broad (HRB) reported the highest-ever number of cases in drug treatment – with a continued increase in cocaine use, especially among women.

Between 2017 and 2023 there was a 388% surge in women seeking drug treatment for cocaine, rising from 284 cases in 2017 to 1,387 cases in 2023.

In 2023, 13,104 cases were treated for problem drug use - the highest annual number recorded and an increase of more than 1,000 cases compared to 2022.

Source: HRB

Ciara Kelly said the issue is particularly evident in Dublin City Centre.

"I do think that the country is awash with drugs," she said.

"I was on the DART on Saturday and people got on who were clearly - it wasn't drink - there was a really strong smell of weed.

"But I got the impression also from what they were saying that they were using much harder drugs than that as well.

"Literally you can't turn around in the city centre without seeing somebody either off their heads on drugs or the smell of weed or whatever".

'Opening the floodgates'

Ciara said it is similar when you go into a "pub, club or gig".

"The queue to the toilet cubicles in the men’s is long and there's all that going on," she said.

"For some people that means we should legalise it – I don't actually subscribe to that notion at all.

"I think all that will do is open the floodgates, I think things are bad as they are."

'Fairtrade coffee and drugs'

Ciara said there is another aspect that needs to be talked about.

"The drugs people are taking in their nice houses in Ranelagh and where-have-you are all coming in through the Kinahans and the Hutches," she said.

"Are you literally there with your Fairtrade coffee, and your ethical this and ethical that and you literally are pumping money into organised criminals?"

Ciara suggested cocaine use is "very white collar" with deprived communities "suffering the brunt of the organised criminal elements".

Main image: Split-screen image shows Ciara Kelly speaking on Newstalk Breakfast and lines of drugs.