Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 19 September 2024

Committee on Drugs Use

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

9:30 am

Mr. Tom Murray:

They have to progress in parallel and where, as our GP colleagues have outlined, criminalisation is a barrier to access to healthcare for the patient. That is fundamental. We are all patient-centred professional practitioners. That is what we do. Therefore, where you see criminalisation is a barrier to access to healthcare for a patient, that is not something we can necessarily stand over and say it is a good policy.