Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The funding being received seems extraordinary considering the prevalence and evolution of drugs. Drugs have evolved and there have been geographic changes also. The delegates will have seen the recent report on cocaine use in Ireland. Cocaine had a particular demographic but that is now completely changed. You can now probably get cocaine in most villages in Ireland. It is that prevalent and it is extremely addictive. This has consequences not only for addicted persons but also for their families and communities. The trend seems strange.

I do not know whether the witnesses can answer my last question but I am going to ask it anyway. I do not know whether Deputy Hourigan mentioned decriminalisation. The idea is to have a policy of decriminalising the person and focusing on the substance. That is the policy we should be working towards. I would argue we should even go beyond that. This policy been talked about for decades. It is extremely frustrating that the current Government and its predecessors have not introduced it. I do not believe the current Government has the stomach to do so. In Portugal, the outcomes for people and societies are much better. I want to hear the delegates' personal views, rather than their organisations’, on the ongoing debate on decriminalisation.