Results 301-320 of 3,697 for speaker:Lynn Ruane

Seanad: International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Motion (19 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: It is an unfair comment and patronising.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: I will be brief and refrain from making many contributions until we get to Committee Stage. The message is not at all that surrogacy is great, but that surrogacy is unfortunately necessary for some people. It is about the necessity of surrogacy so some people can enjoy a family life in they way they intended to. There is also sometimes a misunderstanding of what altruism means....

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: I will go straight to questions from the members and first up is Senator Mary Fitzpatrick.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: Sorry, I will have to move on. I am sure there will be a point to come back in.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: I acknowledge that Senators O’Hara and Seery Kearney are online and listening in but, given their location, they will not be able to contribute. I call Deputy Kenny, who is visiting the committee.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: I will move on. I think we will go into a second round but I want to ask a few questions before we do. There are lots of conversations there and from my contribution I would rather focus on recommendation No. 17. When we look at the caveats relating to the citizens' assembly and what it laid out, it is really about understanding the assembly's idea of what decriminalisation actually is and...

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: Does that still involve a garda stopping and searching you, finding you are in possession, and him deciding whether you need diversion? The whole threat of stop and search is criminalisation back a step because it still involves policing. Should you only be stopped and searched if there is suspicion around whether you are selling drugs or involved in the sale and supply? A person who is on...

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: There is the issue. Even in the old understanding from Portugal, which is 20 years old, and they would see their decriminalisation model now as completely outdated, when we look at the fact there would be even later sanctions, and even though addiction does not work that way, it is still criminalising addiction but actually decriminalising personal drug use. If you are a recreational drug...

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: Also, in the current system, the 2017 proposal the Department is saying it is running out, which is an adult caution system, would the witnesses also see that as not being decriminalisation, that it is a case that we are going to temporarily say it is a health issue and then we are going say it is not a health issue but a criminal issue?

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: Within limits. There would still be limits set on the amount.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: Beyond the limit.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: Is it though? It is still criminal justice-led because it still allows people to be stopped and searched.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: So it is actually still criminal justice-led with a potential health outcome.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: That is saying two different things, because if we want to take it out of the criminal justice system, then we also want to take it out of policing. We cannot uncouple policing of people on the street and possession of drugs in the criminal justice system.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: I will invite Dr. Ivers next as she has not come in much.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: I appreciate that. We will now go to Deputy Shanahan.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: I appreciate that.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: We will proceed to Senator Fitzpatrick, who was not here for our four-minute rounds. We might just restart the clock.

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: It is a referral. Since it does not involve a court system, have the police power to compel somebody to go to a diversion service?

Committee on Drugs Use: Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: Discussion (13 Jun 2024)

Lynn Ruane: I believe that everyone is in agreement that the housing issue will come up and especially in the work of Dr. Ivers around that recovery capital piece. If the person cannot access housing then he or she is already at a deficit. Drugs possession is in the most serious category. No matter how simple the possession is, it is currently in the category with serious sexual crimes, murder, and...