Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to put my name to this motion, which states: "during the past 25 years of a law-enforcement approach to drug abuse, drug-related deaths have increased by 225 per cent, compared to a 68 per cent reduction in road deaths in the same period, with the total number of such deaths well exceeding 10,500." That is 10,500 lives and 10,500 families. The multiplied consequences of this are horrific to imagine. The motion also states:

— Ireland now has the joint-highest rate of drug-induced deaths among 16 to 64-year-olds in the European Union (EU);

— the number of people prosecuted for possession for personal use has increased over that period by 484 per cent, with more than a quarter of a million convictions recorded for that offence;

— in the same period there has been a substantial overall increase in drug use, with use of cocaine rising by [approximately] 10,376 per cent, benzodiazepines by 1,824 per cent and cannabis by 263 per cent;

— drug abuse and its harmful effects, including crimes of violence, intimidation and extortion aimed at addicts, their families and their communities, are no longer urban phenomena and are spread across the State;

I represent the constituency of Cork East. I have first-hand experience of witnessing deals taking place within my neighbourhood. I also have first-hand experience of seeing the prevalence of recreational drug usage, especially of cocaine. Such behaviour has become normalised in our society. We cannot keep burying our heads in the sand. I would have been an advocate for stronger policing but the criminal justice response has not worked. If I look at crime statistics of the sort issued to joint policy committees such as those on Cork County Council, detections of possession of drugs for sale or supply across the city and county fell by 351 between January and August last year to 263 in the same period this year, which represented a reduction of 26%. The dogs on the street know drug use and sale and supply are increasing but the policing response, anecdotally, is moving away. The resources are not there. We now need the community health response. If one speaks to members of An Garda Síochána privately and off the record, they will say the same thing. It is beyond policing and beyond a criminal justice thought process or framework in relation to how it is being tackled.

Having said that, the motion is very clear that we must still ensure we go after the drug cartels and the "Mr. Bigs" of this world.

We now see their influence seeping down into communities. Money procured from recreational drug use by middle class kids and kids of all persuasions - when I say "kids" I am speaking about young adults and older adults - is now going into laundering, such as through the procurement of buildings and other property throughout the State. That needs to be tackled forthwith.

The Portuguese model offers a solution. It involves a long-term commitment but it is something we can embrace. If we embrace and establish the citizens' assembly, we will hear what the citizens have to say. We will be surprised at their response.

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