Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 9 July 2024

Committee on Drugs Use

Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation of Drugs: Discussion (Resumed)

7:00 pm

Photo of Jennifer Murnane O'ConnorJennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the two witnesses. Many of my questions have been answered.

I will go to Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Wilson first. I have two questions for her. She spoke about how these other resources take significantly longer to achieve and implement. She spoke about areas of education, prevention, treatment and other provisions of health services. The strategy with decriminalisation was fine but she said it came in quite quickly. Were these areas addressed enough? Was there a huge concern that there were other areas? These are huge, and even working with families - she spoke about families as well.

The other surprising thing in her opening statement was, "other jurisdictions that have implemented or considered decriminalisation, only to later abandon it, have done so because of unaddressed and unintended impacts on community safety and well-being". That is a worry. She kind of answered some of it, but some if it she has not.

My other question is to Mr. Russoniello. I probably said his name wrong, as previous speakers did. In his opening statement, he stated “Measure 110’s ... repeal does not represent a policy failure, but a failure of political will.” I ask him about the political will because he mentioned that a few times. He also said, “Unfortunately, after an intense disinformation campaign by measure 110 opponents, politicians voted earlier this year to recriminalise possession.” These two questions are important. As he knows, it is all agencies working together, from the Garda to, for example, education or health services. Does he see those as being the concerns of what did happen? Where does he think changes could be made?