Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The motion is timely and the amendments tabled by Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féín have some merit. The numbers of deaths occurring as a result of poisoning and non-poisoning in the use of drugs - the figures have been provided by the CityWide Drugs Crisis Campaign - are startling. In discussing the issue we have to consider the legacy of the cuts made in funding drug initiatives in the days of austerity. Between 2008 and 2013, there was a 37% cut in funding for drug initiatives. Some might say we are past those days and that some of the funding has been restored. However, if the issue was researched properly, it would be found that during those years, because the cuts in funding for drug initiatives were made at community level, more and more people became addicted to legal and illegal drugs and alcohol.

This is an important discussion for us all.

Deputy Joan Collins, the mover of the motion, the Minister of State and I share the same constituency, which has major problems with drug and alcohol addiction. I echo what Deputy Gino Kenny said about the need for a serious discussion on the question of decriminalisation of drugs. Until we do that, we will not really get to the heart of holistically treating the question of addiction as a health issue rather than as a criminal issue. Some people get caught and get into big trouble for small amounts of drugs for personal use. This is not to argue that we should not treat people who push, sell or make personal gain from selling drugs differently. However, we need to treat addiction to drugs as a health issue and find legal ways, as well as health ways, of doing it.

I wish to make a point about prescription drugs. It is very worrying that a large number of drug deaths come from the overuse of prescription drugs. It goes to the heart of the control big pharma has over our attitude to health. When Deputy Gino Kenny introduced his Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill, it was not to legalise cannabis but to have cannabis available for medicinal purposes. He was able to prove how it can deal with issues such as anxiety and pain. There was great resistance from the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA, to that Bill. The HPRA does not seem to display the same resistance to the big pharma companies which, for example, do not over-produce Spinraza because it costs millions of euro for children who need to get their hands on it. They do not over-produce pembrolizumab because it costs millions of euro for those suffering from cancer to get their hands on it.

A lot of control is needed over big pharma. In an ideal world, as well as dealing holistically with the question of addiction and asking why people want to get off their face on drugs or alcohol in the first place from a young age up to an older age - that question will tell a lot about the society we live in - we also have to ask about the role of big pharma in pushing drugs in this country and the role of the drinks industry in pushing alcohol. To that end, the discussion needs to go beyond the scope of the motion. However, I fully endorse the motion and the amendments to it.

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