Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

Products are sold in that way and we cannot ban bath salts.

Given the expertise we have, we can use the chemical compounds, put them in the form of regulation, ban them and the Garda Síochána will be in a position then to enforce the law.

I have made the point at Government and I believe there should be a wider Government response, including product liability legislation. Consumer protection legislation must be examined as well as the role of public liability insurance. There could be improvements if people had to carry public liability insurance and any adverse health effects could be challenged against that insurance. Although I am not saying we can do these things, we must examine them. Also, there is the matter of planning legislation. We must consider this across several headings and the Government is doing so at present, lead by the Minister of State, Deputy John Curran, who will speak later in this debate.

I cannot disagree with the urgency with which members seek legislation. We will make it happen as quickly as we can. We are examining what has taken place in other countries, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States. However, no country has been able to deal satisfactorily with this issue yet. I refer to a group known as the EU Horizontal Drugs Group, of which Ireland is a member. Various experts from Ireland participate in the meetings of the group, including experts from the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law, Reform; Health and Children; and Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The group has discussed this issue many times but no one has been able to find a way to deal satisfactorily with what are broadly called head shops or with the products they sell. The best we have been able to do is to ban substances as they come on the market, in the realisation that a new variation or derivative will be found very quickly. There are derivatives of BZP, benzylpiperazine, legally used and very small changes can be made to allow these drugs to be sold legitimately. We must use other legislation as well and place a high liability on those who sell these products to carry the responsibility for these products. That could be a very effective way of dealing with the matter.

Senators mentioned that some of these shops are open until 4 a.m. We should examine the regulations from a business point of view to determine when such premises can trade. I understand many of the young people who access these stores do so after they have consumed alcohol and the combination of these substances with alcohol can cause not only mind changing but, in many cases, fatal consequences. There have been cases where people believe they can jump out of apartments and do various strange things.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to be here. I thank all Members who have spoken to date and I realise many other Members wish to speak. I congratulate Mrs. Kenny in the Gallery, whom I do not know. However, she is a campaigner and I welcome such campaigners. It is important that the wider society participates in the required education of young people especially, although the problem is not exclusive to young people. These shops are all about making money for people who do not seem to care about the consequences of the products they sell. Wider societal involvement in the campaign against these products sold by many head shops will play an important role in reducing the use of these shops, especially by young people.