Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegates. To expand on Deputy O'Brien's point, have the Department delegates fleshed out the concept of an authorised user?

It is important we do not bureaucratise the process for a person who is in such a vulnerable scenario and such bureaucracy does not inhibit proper access to treatment. It is important that is clarified and it is probably clarified in the legislation. The Department delegates might elaborate on that.

On the licence application, Dr. Kennan mentioned there is a possibility it could be a HSE-run pilot project or there would be a service level agreement, SLA, for it. Are stakeholder consultations with any such providers planned on the development of the requirements in a licence application. He might give a brief outline of what is planned in that respect.

Are there particular reasons a licence transfer would be necessary rather than a licence being awarded case by case? Will the number of active licences be tied to demographics in terms of the number of authorised users in the area? What is the logic for the transfer of the licence if the pilot project is successful, rather than examining the concept beyond the simple transfer of the licence?

I wish to ask about one aspect of the regulations that was not mentioned. Will the eligibility criteria for licenceholders include protective obligations towards the staff and volunteers working in a supervised injecting facility? One of the delegates outlined the regulations covering the licenceholder, the people who run the premises, but there was no specific mention of staff.

Is there anything further that could be added to improve what is included in the heads of the Bill or are the Garda representatives concerned about anything in the way the legislation is being drafted? Do they believe this legislation will be workable? Deputy O'Brien and I are members of the Committee on Justice and Equality where we interact with members of An Garda Síochána. Having the Department of Health delegates before this committee on one side of the room and also having members of An Garda Síochána before it working beside them is a positive symbolic move. That is important to note in the context of where this should move generally.

In the context of international comparatives, which Senator Burke also mentioned, has the Department framed the heads of the Bill and the legislation around a particular model in a particular country or is it a mix of what the Department delegates have seen and examined elsewhere?