Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

He is one of the leading emergency medical physicians in the country and he suggested that although legislation has a part to play, a greater part must be played by education, awareness and changing the culture here. This is why I welcome such programmes as Joe Duffy's "Liveline" which concentrated on this issue. Recently, I was out with several leading consultants at a function. I asked if they knew what ice, snow and blow were and no one had ever heard of them. Those people did not work in this area; they were cardiologists, neurologists and so on, but they are well informed, well educated people. They were parents of young children but had never heard of any of these substances.

We need wider education of the public and a debate such as this is very useful. Senator Norris made the point that the House sought more than just a motion and that it sought a debate. Such debates as this held in such a forum in the Houses of the Oireachtas have an important role to play in the wider education of the public and especially young people. We know people can access drugs through the Internet. When the law is changed here, the Customs and Excise will be able to intercept delivery of these products. However, even with the law one cannot prevent people accessing dangerous products. There is a good deal of money in them and there are more than enough people willing to promote these products. We must use legislation as best we can but we must also realise that the legislation will never be able to keep pace with the capacity of individuals to vary products and to sell them as bath salts, for example. Anyone who spends €30 on bath salts needs their head examined. Excuse the pun.