Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to get opportunity to speak on this motion on drugs policy and the decriminalisation of the user. I have heard different speakers talking about people taking drugs, the number of deaths there have been and the fact that they feel that if taking drugs was legalised, this would not happen. It is hard to figure that one out in my mind. I was in the centre of Dublin city recently. That is a rare thing because usually we are up here during the day, but I was here at night and it was shocking to see what was going on down side streets in our capital. I am not a person to have much fear, but I was looking over my shoulder continuously. If we legalise it, will matters get better? I have my doubts.

It is important to raise in the Dáil the subject of medicinal cannabis and the difficulties relating to it. Everybody knows the story of Vera Twomey. I worked closely with her to get medicinal cannabis for her daughter, as did our Rural Independent Group, but the only other Member who put his neck on the line was Deputy Gino Kenny. He worked very hard to make sure that the child got the medicinal cannabis oil she needed. To say the least, it was shocking to see the lengths to which Vera Twomey had to go in order to get something that would help her child legalised. We are talking about making drugs more acceptable in law. At the time in question, which is not that long ago, we were fighting to make it more simple for a mother to save her child's life. How many more people with multiple sclerosis and other ailments who need medicinal cannabis are finding it difficult to access? That is the legal side of medicinal cannabis. Vera won her battle for Ava. I take this opportunity to wish Ava a happy birthday. She turned 13 four days ago. The battle relating to her case led to her mother shedding blood, sweat and tears. For any woman to have gone through the Trojan effort she made for her daughter and others is something that should never be forgotten in this State. It is seldom I get a chance to read a book. I would advise anybody who is on about medicinal cannabis or anything else to read For Ava, the book that was compiled by her mother on the fight that she and Ava's father, Paul, undertook to save their daughter’s life.

Somebody mentioned smoking joints earlier and how something like this might be opposed and that anyone who opposed it should smoke a joint. Sometimes I find that attitude difficult because I have never smoked a joint in my life. I never felt I needed to do that. I used to have great fun when we used to hit the streets long ago for a few drinks. It was innocent fun and it seems to me that we are taking on each level and accepting new and heightened levels. We accept alcohol use and a certain amount of drug use, but where will it stop? I would like to know where this is going to stop and if it will add extra pressure to a system that is already overly pressurised.

A gentleman came into my clinic recently in Skibbereen. He was stressed because he had been caught growing cannabis for his own use. He was strong in asking that I would air the view in the Dáil that at least he was not supplying it in the locality. The law of the land is there, and there is not much I can do when the laws are the way they are. I advise people to look at Vera Twomey's story, which is more interesting than any other part of the debate.

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