Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that there is a commitment in the programme for Government to hold a citizens' assembly on drugs. I am conscious that the other citizens' assemblies are unfinished at this stage. I am thinking of the one on biodiversity. Would the Taoiseach envisage that it would have to be finished up before he would advance the other ones or can they run in parallel? I would hope that they could, and that there would not be any delay, because the Government already had the Dublin mayor and biodiversity ones running in parallel. It is important that the citizens' assembly on drugs would get up and running as soon as possible. The conversations are already taking place right across the country in communities, at dinner tables and in various places. I had the opportunity to meet with so many different groups on it. These included those on youth diversion programmes and students. The Joint Committee on Justice has also been debating the issue. I would be interested to hear if the Taoiseach has a view on its deliberations as well.

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