Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

On the Order of Business last week I raised this issue with regard to secondary legislation under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, which is required to ensure that the chemicals that are now banned in the UK are also banned in this country. The Taoiseach was away last week and I had the opportunity to ask the Minister for Health and Children, in a written question, her plans to introduce secondary legislation. However, she does not seem to have any plans to do so, even though it would require no more than a copy and paste from the UK regulations to here.

In light of this and in view of the fact that two pieces of secondary legislation are required - one from the Minister for Health and Children and one from the Taoiseach - I have taken the liberty to draft the statutory instrument. Will the Taoiseach put his name to it and ensure these drugs, which have been found in the UK to be toxic and to have caused damage to young people, are banned here before they are dumped on the market and pawned off to children?

See this speech in context