Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second Senator Darragh O'Brien's amendment to the Order of Business.

I welcome the swift reaction by the Government to the decision of the Court of Appeal today that certain sections of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 are illegal. I also note that this decision does not affect the supply, sale or possession of so-called hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin or cannabis. However, it affects the sale of certain psychoactive drugs which were sold in the so-called head shops located throughout the country.As a result of a huge effort by Members on both sides of the last Seanad, these drugs were included in the legislation. It is very welcome that the Government has acted swiftly. The Dáil is to sit late tonight and we will deal with the legislation tomorrow. It is important that we do not return to a situation where every small town and village in the country not only will have to deal with the so-called threat of the hard drug pushers but also retail outlets supplying very dangerous psychoactive drugs to young people. I again commend the Government for its swift reaction to the decision today by the Court of Appeal.