David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I compliment my colleagues, Senators Ruane and Ó Ríordáin, on tabling these amendments. They are valuable and have led to a useful discussion. I have spoken on this issue in this House for 30 years and I have always favoured decriminalisation. However, it is becoming much more complex, as is evidenced by the fact that there are four pages of jaw-breaking drugs that people have never heard of listed. People do not know the effect of these substances on the individual and that is very dangerous. I agree that we should look to the medical treatment of this situation rather than criminalising it. Criminalising it does nothing for the addict.

There is another aspect to this issue, which is the use of cannabinoid drugs for the relief of certain illnesses. Will the Government examine this closely?I have a series of harrowing letters from parents and people with specific illnesses that can only be effectively treated by cannabinoid drugs, but they are not available. They should be available. Here is a situation where we have the possibility of prescription by a doctor to get access to drugs that will relieve the symptoms. I cannot see any argument against that.

Virtually everyone has spoken in favour of this approach, which is interesting, except of course for the spokeswoman for Fianna Fáil. I listened with great interest to what she had to say. I accept that there is a problem in that we now have a situation where there is a drug dealer and a runner so that they are only in possession of small amounts, but surely that could be dealt with by police evidence in court. They know who the drug addicts are and who the pushers are. It should be possible to isolate the pusher on the grounds of this evidence, which would be given in court under oath. There is also something a little inconsistent in making that point, which is very well made, and then saying we can introduce the amendments later. If they are wrong now, they will still be wrong later. I will support the amendments, if it comes to a vote.

With regard to my earlier intervention when I said I did not hear the bell, I should have pointed out that I was in the outside space. I would ask the Cathaoirleach to recommend to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges that it puts a bell in the outside space because one just does not hear the division bell. I am not worried about the number of times I vote. I vote pretty regularly in this House. In the old days, columnists in the newspapers with nothing else to do would count up the number of times one voted and print it. Now they do not bother. It does not take a feather out of me if someone counts the number of times I vote.I will vote if and when I can. I will certainly vote with my conscience on these amendments and I will support both of them.