Mr. Eddie D'Arcy:

Most people living in the Deputy's constituency, and I happen to live in her constituency at the moment, who smoke weed know that, realistically, no one is going to raid their house. They know, realistically, they are not going to get stopped on the street or stopped in their nice car and searched for drugs. If they are under the influence and get stopped, that is a different thing. All the conversation here today, and rightly so, has been about the areas probably impacted most by the drug gangs, poverty and the reasons those people go into drugs. We have to remember the vast majority of people who use drugs in Ireland are from outside of those communities. They are buying and using them and maintaining their lifestyle the way it is.

If we are going to decriminalise, we have to be very careful because there are a couple of unseen consequences we have to think about. For some people, decriminalisation is the Portuguese model where the drugs are still illegal but instead of a criminal response, you will get a civil response which is that you must attend a drug treatment centre. I am responsible for a drug treatment centre out in the Chair's patch, CASP. We are a one-stop for all. I am really proud of the fact that if someone rings us, within 24 hours, they will be seen by a project worker. It is great. It is a response that is ready for someone when they are at the point where they need help and they want to get help. It is not a three-week or a four-week wait. If I had to suddenly respond to thousands of people who gardaí have stopped for simple possession, and they are told they have to attend a treatment centre within a fortnight-----