Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Select Committee on Health
Misuse of Drugs (Supervised Injecting Facilities) Bill 2017: Committee Stage
2:30 pm
Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Yes. Deputy Barrett began by speaking about methadone clinics and the fact that in the past there were huge objections to them in communities and that we as public representatives were asked to stand over them. The fact is that many methadone clinics have made a huge impact on people's lives. I remind the Deputy that the legislation is committed to in the programme for Government and that we are committed as a Government to supporting a health-led approach to drug use rather than one based on criminal justice. Unlike Deputy Barrett, I am not an expert on the law or anything else but I wish to point out a few things to him. For far too long, people who are addicts have been labelled across this country, in every little town and village and in our capital city, as people who do not matter. They do matter.