Mr. Paul Reid:

On behalf of the members of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use, I thank the Chairperson and members for the invitation to meet the committee. Our delegation comprises several people who were closely involved in the work of the citizens' assembly. The Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use has been an example of deliberative democracy at its best. Our terms of reference asked us to consider the legislative, policy and operational changes the State could make to significantly reduce the harmful impacts of illicit drugs on individuals, families, communities and wider society. I am pleased to report we have completed our mission in full and on schedule. Before the committee today is the end result, a two-volume report that sets out what I believe to be the most thorough and far-reaching examination of drug use undertaken in the history of the State. The report reflects the reality that the causes and consequences of drug use are multifaceted and it emphasises the need for the State to respond to these challenges with urgency and ambition.

The citizens' assembly recommendations support specific measures for implementation including, for example, a decriminalised model, pivoting from a reliance on a criminal justice response to a comprehensive health-led response. We have described this as an Irish model for the Irish problem of illicit drug use. Other measures include strengthened political oversight and accountability, through the establishment of a dedicated Cabinet committee on drugs, chaired by the Taoiseach; the prioritisation of supports for marginalised groups and disadvantaged communities; enhanced funding including additional and new sources of funding; a greater focus on prevention and recovery; greater support for families and children impacted by drug use; strengthened services including the expansion of harm reduction measures and treatment and recovery services, both in prison and at community level; and supply reduction, supporting the continued efforts of An Garda Síochána while strengthening the response to drug-related intimidation and violence by organised crime gangs.

The report documents many important contributions to the citizens' assembly made by expert practitioners, stakeholders and, importantly, service users and people with lived or living experience of drug use. We learned that while drug use is prevalent in all parts of the country and among all socioeconomic groups, we can clearly tell that vulnerable groups and disadvantaged communities suffer disproportionately. We learned how addiction and dependency can destroy lives. We heard that organised crime gangs are influencing drug-related intimidation and violence in cities, town and villages throughout Ireland and are luring vulnerable young people into criminality at an early age. We heard also about the limitations of the State's response, which has not substantively evolved in several decades. We were stunned by the length of time it takes to introduce even modest changes in this area. The assembly members were frustrated and disappointed that even the most modest proposals for our health diversion programme, signalled in the 2017 national drugs strategy and in the current programme for Government, have still not been implemented. This would have been at least a starting point for a health-led approach. We were concerned by the inadequate provision of drug services in community settings and the prison system. We heard how shame and stigma compound the harms experienced by individuals and families affected by drug use. Time and again, we heard that simply criminalising people is no way to deal with the drug problem.

In response, the citizens' assembly has recommended a comprehensive package of 36 measures. These aim to ensure the State and stakeholders will respond urgently, effectively and decisively to a full range of issues. We firmly believe all 36 recommendations need to be adopted. Tackling issues in isolation will simply not work. We fully respect the role of the Oireachtas committee now in the next phase of this process, but we call for urgency from the Government and believe our recommendations could and should be implemented in full. We are acutely aware that for tens of thousands of people in this country who are affected by drug use, the clock is ticking. People's lives and futures are on the line. There is no time to waste. We believe this report offers a new paradigm. We have, I hope, broadened the national conversation about drugs from a narrow focus on debates about legalisation and decriminalisation.

The assembly comprised 100 members, 99 of whom had been randomly selected from the general public and me, as independent chair. Our demographic profile perfectly mirrored wider Irish society by age, gender and location. The group was also diverse in socioeconomic profile, nationality and disability status. Importantly, our members held diverse perspectives on drug use, with people from all walks of life coming from various levels of experience of drugs and addiction. Irrespective of their backgrounds and personal experience, each and every member made an invaluable contribution and ensured the assembly was informed by a wide spectrum of opinions, reflective of Irish society generally. We had six weekend meetings, heard from 130 presenters and had more than 15 hours of questions and answers and 250 hours of round-table deliberations. We also received almost 800 public submissions. We heard from eminent experts at international, EU and national level. We grounded our deliberations in empirical evidence, including from the Health Research Board and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Most important, we included practitioners, service providers and people with lived and living experience.

Despite the diverse profile of our members, there was a strong consensus of support for most of our recommendations. Of the 36 recommendations, 31 were supported by more than 90% of members, while another four were supported by more than 80%. The only issue that revealed a significant divergence in perspectives related to the possession of cannabis for personal use. Even then, there was a strong consensus the status quo is not working and that we need to adopt a new approach.

If I may, I will briefly summarise our recommendations. Recommendations Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, focus on the need for urgent, decisive action by the State and for drugs policy to be prioritised by the Government. Among other things, they call for a dedicated Cabinet committee on drugs, chaired by An Taoiseach.

Recommendations Nos. 7 to 10, inclusive, focus on a whole-of-government, whole-of-society response to drug use, with a new national drugs strategy built on partnership between the State and stakeholders.

Recommendations Nos. 11 to 14, inclusive, focus on policy on services for people with underlying drug problems who are engaged with the criminal justice system. They call for more community-based and residential drug services to give the Judiciary greater options to divert people away from convictions and custodial sentences towards appropriate help. They also call for more drug treatment services within the prison system.

Recommendations Nos. 15 and 16 focus on improving service delivery and targeted services for vulnerable and marginalised groups.

Recommendation No. 17 relates to how the State should deal with the possession of drugs for personal use. The assembly has recommended a comprehensive health-led approach, informed by international examples, including Portugal and Austria. While the possession of controlled drugs would remain illegal and prohibited by law, anybody found in possession of drugs for personal use would, first and foremost, be afforded extensive opportunities to engage with the health-led services.

Recommendations Nos. 18 to 21, inclusive, focus on the funding of services and include a recommendation to examine potential novel sources of funding.

Recommendations Nos. 22 and 23 focus on workforce development and providing trauma-informed training to key personnel.

Recommendation No. 24 calls for a continued focus on the efforts of law enforcement to reduce the supply of drugs, working at international, EU, national and local level.

Recommendation No. 26 calls for a zero-tolerance approach to drug-related intimidation and violence and a continued strategic focus on tackling this issue at a community level.

Recommendations Nos. 27 and 28 focus on prevention, emphasising the need for Ireland to improve its approach to primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.

Recommendation No. 29 calls for a public health communication strategy focusing on reducing shame and stigmatisation, drug prevention, risk mitigation and advertising drug services.

Recommendation No. 30 calls for a systemic approach to recovery with funding for evidence-based innovation in the provision of residential and community-based recovery services.

Recommendation No. 31 calls for a strategy to enhance resilience, mental health, well-being and prevention capital across the population, including therapeutic supports for children and young people.

Recommendations Nos. 32 and 33 focus on improving the State's response to drug use through innovation, evidence and data.

Recommendation No. 34 refers to the submissions received by the citizens' assembly to the Department of Health in the context of the work in preparing the next iteration of the national drugs strategy.

Recommendation No. 36 refers onwards to the appropriate regulatory authorities submissions received by the citizens' assembly which relate to the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis and plant-based psychedelic substances.

Recommendation No. 36 calls for more widespread use and rapid adoption of evidence-based approaches to harm reduction.

We believe that the citizens' assembly has been the most comprehensive, inclusive, transparent and informed examination of illicit drug use that has ever taken place in the State. This is why I urge the Oireachtas and the Government to embrace this new paradigm. With the right ambition, resourcing, leadership, strategic direction and determination, we can fundamentally transform how Ireland deals with drugs now and into the future.