Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Kenny for his work on this Bill, his advocacy on the issue and the heart he brings to it. It is incredibly welcome. The Social Democrats will support the Bill. For many years, the Social Democrats have favoured a health-based approach to drugs. That is why we believe a policy of decriminalisation should be pursued in respect of the possession of drugs for personal use. It was welcome that the report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use also reflected this position, with, among others, its recommendation that a comprehensive, health-led response should be implemented. It is incumbent on the Government to urgently establish a special Oireachtas committee to examine these recommendations and bring forward legislative proposals. This is not a time for hand-wringing or dithering. Political leadership is required to call a halt to the criminalisation of addiction. We know that turning people with addiction issues into criminals only serves to demonise them and deny them future opportunities. This is particularly true of communities with high levels of deprivation and disadvantage, which are disproportionately impacted by the negative effects of drug use. The relationship between poverty and drug-related harms is well-established but it is not enough to just recognise this fact; we must act upon it.

However, while decriminalisation should be part of a radically different approach to drug use, it must be accompanied by a comprehensive plan to tackle poverty and deprivation. Such a plan must include improved community infrastructure to mitigate the negative impacts of poverty and social exclusion. An example of this is front-loading infrastructure when developing housing so that we do not create communities of deprivation. The homelessness crisis is at the sharp end of drug-related issues. Some 11% of drug-related deaths from poisoning in 2020 occurred in homeless accommodation. While this Government may pay lip service to solutions such as the Finnish housing first model, the housing crisis over which it is presiding and fuelling makes it all but impossible to implement them.

With regard to health, while evidence indicates that decriminalisation helps reduce the health risks associated with drug use, it alone cannot achieve a significant reduction. Any legislative change must occur in tandem with a range of other responses. This includes timely and adequate inpatient and outpatient addiction services. Such services must be supportive, not punitive, to allow those who continue to use drugs or relapse to retain access to these services. The lack of mental health supports and services in our communities must also be addressed if we are to tackle the underlying causes of problem drug use. After all, we know that drug use is often just a way of self-medicating to cope with mental health issues and trauma. Harm reduction should also be a key goal of any health-led approach to drug use. While it is welcome that the country’s first medically-supervised drug injection facility has been given the go-ahead, there is no timeline and we need more than one such facility. I acknowledge the sensitivities around location but research from other countries has consistently shown that supervised injection facilities do not make communities more unsafe or lead to increased drug use.

Another area of concern is funding within the community and voluntary sector dealing with drug use. A significant increase in funding for local drug and alcohol task forces is required to meet growing demand for services.

According to local drug and alcohol task force data, between 2012 and 2021, the number of people using its services rose by almost 40%. Further analysis shows that while the numbers in receipt of treatment for alcohol addiction have only increased by 5%, there has been a 60% increase in those undertaking treatment for drugs. Along with more resources, local task forces should have greater input into national policies as they are best placed to identify emerging trends. The crucial role of community drug projects must also be built on. Government should engage with those projects to develop and put in place an efficient, reliable and sustainable funding arrangement that reflects the value of the work they do in their communities.

There are, of course, different models of decriminalisation across approximately 30 jurisdictions worldwide, and while the citizens' assembly report calls for decriminalisation, it is not prescriptive in this regard. Instead, the report asks several key questions, including whether sanctions for possession should be removed entirely from existing legislation. Ultimately, there are a number of different approaches to decriminalisation but it is highly likely that some changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act will be required. The Oireachtas must answer these questions and that is why a special Oireachtas committee is needed. The Bill before us could also be considered in that context. The committee must be established without delay. Otherwise, lives will continue to be ruined and lost under a system that criminalises what we know to be a health issue. Given the history of the State, we should know better than to allow moral judgment to be the basis for social policy.

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