Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

First, I express my sympathy and condolences to the Murphy family and the Tullamore community on the senseless murder of Ashling Murphy.

Second, I warmly welcome the announcement made today that public healthcare workers who worked on the front line during the Covid-19 pandemic are to receive a once-off €1,000 tax-free payment. I note and particularly welcome that student nurses who did placements in hospitals and healthcare settings are also in line for the payment. That is good news for student nurses to kick off 2022. What would be better news for student nurses and midwives would be confirmation on when they will get their €100 weekly stipend because the last time I checked, the moneys had yet to enter any of their bank accounts. The Deputy Leader might be so good as to follow up with her party colleague, the Minister for Health, on this issue.

I want to reflect briefly on the discussion on the national drugs strategy that took place at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Health this morning. I wish to note that Senator Ruane and I were in attendance.The conversation felt at times as if we were back in the time of Richard Nixon declaring a war on drugs. That has simply proven to be unfounded and a waste of time, money and resources. It only perpetuates stigma and harm on drug users.

The Government has declared it is taking a health-led approach to drugs, but what I heard today at the committee did not instil much confidence that this is true. For the record, I am a harm reductionist, if that is the terminology we can use. I believe it is the only practical, realistic, person-centred approach we can take to drugs. The international evidence also supports this. In addition, in the committee there was a great deal of conflation of decriminalising and legalising drugs. If we are to have a mature, well-informed discussion on this topic, which I believe the public wants, and there are calls for a citizens' assembly on this issue, the least we can do is understand what we are talking about. I urge Members to get informed on the terminology, to put preconceived notions about drug users to the back of their minds and to engage with the evidence on how we can truly reduce drug-related harm.