Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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To proceed a little on that point, you talked about the right to do something with your body once it does not cause a greater societal harm. Some medics argue that the use of drugs is inherently dangerous and leads to societal ills. We will hear from some of those medics. We will also hear from medics who may not share that viewpoint. It is a medical debate. Leaving that aside, one of the arguments from a sociological or criminological perspective is that the harm is that one is feeding an illicit market that is supplied by evil actors, namely large drug cartels, be they based in Ireland, Mexico or central Asia, and that any decriminalisation, if not accompanied by legalisation, is a tacit acceptance by the State that we have this large market, it is going to be supplied and it is going to be supplied by nefarious actors. I understand - I do not want to put words into your mouth - that that is part of your argument for regulation, other than, of course, the safety side of it. Is your position that we also have to legalise drugs? I appreciate that this view does not appear to be shared by everybody on the panel. I will allow Ms Eastwood in first, and then we will move to Ms Lawlor briefly. Then we will come back in for a second round for everybody who is here.