David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Apologies for having to leave. I had a parliamentary question to take in the Dáil Chamber. I was listening online as best I could to the debate. I thank the witnesses for being here and for the work they have done. To continue the conversation on the Portuguese model, I went there a number of years ago with a committee. We visited and spent time engaging with all the actors involved in that. Has any analysis been done with respect to how effective the current system is? Could the witnesses speak to that at all? I have heard reports that it is not effective at all and that there are people on the streets who are really and truly in trouble with addiction. The other issue is that people are being offered drugs on the street. I asked the police that when I was in Portugal and they asked if I bought some. I said no and they said that if I had, it would not have been an illegal substance because it was a scam and they were aware of it.