Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the law relating to the misuse of a controlled substance and for those purposes to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 to criminalise the act of causing or coercing a minor to be in possession of a controlled substance, and to provide for related matters.

Drug use and drug selling by young people from disadvantaged areas is not new but in recent years it has increased and it has spiked. Young people are being targeted by older experienced drug dealers to sell and deliver drugs. Children are being groomed and coerced by unscrupulous drug dealers. They are attracted by the flashy cars and new runners, a few bob in their pockets and the status of being considered a so-called somebody. These criminals are nobodies. They groom our children, suck the lifeblood from our communities and offer nothing in return. While we need to examine the underlying reasons children are attracted to this lifestyle, such as poverty, we also need as legislators to put things in place that will make it more difficult for these criminals to operate. The Bill would mean a prosecutor need not prove the drug is a controlled drug nor prove the person being prosecuted knew the child was a child irrespective of the quantity of drugs involved. The Bill would close any loophole the criminals may be exploiting at present. The Bill would make it a stand-alone offence for adults to use children for the sale and distribution of drugs. It would make it easier for the Garda to press charges against these adult criminals. Our communities have had enough.

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