Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil supports the Bill, and while I respect Deputy Wallace's arguments, I believe we do need to examine broader drug reform and what has worked elsewhere. Making a specific legislative amendment will not change the problem and will not improve the lives of many users. We have seen the impact of these drugs throughout our country. In fairness to the Garda and to others who have called for this legislation, I believe it is more of an interim measure to actually tackle the dealers and, necessarily, the users. It applies to dealers who are carrying very small amounts of a drug. They abuse users by carrying such small quantities and selling the drug on. Under the current legal situation the Garda is powerless to tackle dealers.

That is what the Minister of State is trying to do here. We need to examine the Stanton report and see what has worked well in other countries. The UK Public Health Agency recently issued a report on reform and how to deal with this as a health matter. I spoke at the Oireachtas Committee on Health about prevention and education. Many young people who take various gateway drugs and increase their consumption over years equate cannabis with tobacco although it has a worse health outcome. Prevention, education and a more holistic approach are important. As part of the next national drugs strategy we need to focus on those pillars and not punish end users.

We also need to focus on treatment. If this is to be addressed as a health matter, it has to be properly addressed as such. Given the crisis in the health service and the way it deals with many problems, I have no confidence that it can manage many of the users who are vulnerable and need that intervention. We also need to help those who are in prison by offering them the opportunity to be rehabilitated. I have read widely in this area and the problem of abuse of prescription medicines will not be solved by regulation alone. It is a fair interim measure that will address a lacuna in our legislation. The Garda has tried to deal with this by punishing dealers. I would not like to see any vulnerable user punished under this legislation. In the current situation, hundreds of users have wide access to these drugs on the basis that the Garda can do nothing to intervene with the dealers. It was reported in some newspapers and gardaí have stated that the dealers asked for the drugs back because the legal situation was so uncertain.

This is a necessary measure. It is not the only measure. We do need to consider this from a legal perspective and also address it as a health matter but that cannot be done with a simplistic amendment that will not help many of the users who cannot access treatment, or future users who do not receive the education in schools. It does not exist in the social and personal health education and other modules in our schools. It is important to focus on that as part of the next national drugs strategy and consider this as a broader problem. I thank the Minister of State and the other speakers. I respect their sentiments and their arguments but it is not appropriate to accept the amendment.

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