Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I know you would not. You have declared that. However, as you said you did not know, I could have pulled a fast one. I am not as keen as you think to have a microphone in front of me full-time.

While I will support the Bill and I can see where the Minister of State is coming from, I am not fully in favour of it. I believe the concept is fine. I know it is a pilot project. I know that it would be good for health reasons and so on to have clean needles and a safe area for this method of injection.

However, we are talking about illicit and illegal substances and the carrying of them to and from the place. So many pressures are on our authorities. I have the greatest sympathy for people who are addicts and those who become addicts. We do not put half enough menacing pressure on the suppliers and those peddling. This is a problem in every town and village in Ireland. Certain people are known to An Garda Síochána. I cannot understand why more pressure cannot be put on them. It is ruining families and the lives of people. It is damaging.

It is not a question of NIMBY syndrome. I realise it is a pilot project. However, from the point of view of the concept of setting up these programmes I am unsure whether this is the right methodology. Have we exhausted any other reasons and assessments?

Deputy Billy Kelleher has suggested we are duty bound or that it is incumbent on us to embrace things like this. I am unsure about that. We almost seem to be on a wave of embracing things. We were here this night last week and embraced things. Many people here were not in favour of it and yet they were standing up clapping for it. What is wrong with people? This is the Chamber to which we are elected to pronounce our views.

I am here almost ten years, thankfully. That was the first time I was unable to say and do what I wanted to do on the night. That is not good or healthy in a democracy. We had it again this evening. People could not get in or out. If a person holds a certain view, that person is demonised as some kind of racist or bigot or whatever. Thankfully, we live in a democracy. I thank the gardaí for their help in getting me in and out, as well for helping others later. People were restricted from getting in or out.

All kinds of charges are made if one does not go with the flow. People are being encouraged to strike and leave their workplace and everything else. It is reckless. We are elected to the Chamber to make these decisions.

I am not in favour of it. I would like to see how it is going to work. I would like to see it teased out better. Are we going to have a situation whereby the State is paying moneys to cover for illicit substances and injecting facilities while, on the other hand, trying to prohibit people who have addictions and those who do not from using drugs? What about those who are taking recreational drugs and then going on to harder drugs? The jury is out as far as I am concerned and, therefore, I cannot say that I wish the Minister of State well on it; I do not.

I hope I will not be portrayed as backward, a caveman or any other type of man. I am simply making known my view that I am not in favour of this. The matter must be teased out and the community must be involved. There should be more public consultation.

We cannot just say that we hope the Garda will be able to understand. Gardaí are too scarce and busy. There is enough pressure on them at present. There must be a serious assessment of the impact of any legislative initiatives undertaken in the House. Is there a review clause in this legislation? Perhaps there is a timeline for reviews of the functionality of this and to assess whether it is dysfunctional or not working. If it is found to be a bad, retrograde step, are we stuck with it or is there a timeline for amending the legislation or, indeed, scrapping it?

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