Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate what the Deputy has said. We had an interesting conversation at the North Inner City Drugs Task Force. I have visited various drugs task forces around the country, particularly in the Dublin area, since my appointment to this post. I share the Deputy's concern about how this situation is changing, in that it is worsening and becoming more acute in certain parts of the country and among certain age cohorts.

Today I will take part in a discussion at a joint meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children and the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality on the issue of decriminalisation of drugs, on which the justice committee wants to initiate a public consultation. In that, I have a lengthy contribution to make in regard to many of the issues the Deputy has raised. I am also proposing to have a conference at the end of this month in the Mansion House, with the new Lord Mayor of Dublin, in order to bring together the drugs task forces and people who are working in this sector, because I do not consider that I can wait for the review of the national drugs strategy in order to get a proper snapshot in time as to the nature of the problem we have in Ireland at the moment. That is on 29 July, and I would appreciate the Deputy's attendance and input into that conference.

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