Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will have to come back to the Senator on that.

As I indicated, work was done by internationally renowned researchers and we have looked at other jurisdictions. Until the report is on my desk, I cannot speculate on its contents to the Senator or anybody else, including newspaper reporters who telephone me. Let the working group finish the work it has started and come back with a report. If I am not happy with the report, I am sure many Senators will not be happy with it either. Only then will we be able to work on the recommendations.

I visit young people in services and communities, many of whom the Senator knows, who find themselves caught up in addiction and criminal activity and end up at a young age with a criminal record which can alter their lives for ever. They cannot go back into education, go abroad on holiday or even get housing. We need to be compassionate, particularly towards young people who get involved in criminal activities and find that they have a lifelong mark against them that is very difficult to shake off.

I hope the working group report will provide for flexibility and compassion and, above all, a health-led change to our approach to young people who are caught up in drug addiction and, unfortunately, criminal activities around that. Young people of 15 and 16 years are being targeted daily. This morning, on a visit to the Blanchardstown task force, I was informed that children as young as 12 and 14 years are smoking weed.This is something we must take on board. It is not only in poorer areas but across every constituency and part of the country. We need to recognise that addiction is a health issue and not stigmatise people because of it.

I apologise to Senator Ruane that I have nothing to add other than the judge and the working group were given a job to do, and out of respect to what they are doing, we should wait and ignore whatever is in the newspaper until we get the facts.