Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

We have put in a great deal of effort in consultation with other Government officials and we have listened to all the medicinal and legal expertise available to us. There is no way of introducing legislation to licence such shops in accordance with the Deputy's suggestion involving the IMB because as soon as one dictates that headshops must be licensed, another name would be used. If one then suggests different products must be licensed, such as bath salts, it is simply not possible. All these matters were examined legally and there is no kosher way of doing it through medicines legislation. This is the reason we have gone down the justice route, which is what we had to do in a different era in Ireland in respect of subversive organisations and provide for considerable powers for the Garda Siocháná. This will happen in this case and I believe it will be effective.

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