Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to outline to Members of Seanad Éireann the objective of and basis for the motion to establish a citizens' assembly on drugs use. Over the past decade, citizens' assemblies have become established as an important part of the Irish democratic process. Previous assemblies have made recommendations on a variety of matters, including marriage equality, the eighth amendment of the Constitution, climate change, gender equality and, most recently, a directly elected mayor for Dublin and biodiversity loss. The views expressed by citizens' assemblies have consistently proven to be influential in driving changes to policy, legislation and the Constitution.

Today across the length and breadth of Ireland, individuals, families and communities are grappling with the harmful impact of illicit drug use. Directly or indirectly, illicit drug use affects all of us. No matter our gender, age or socioeconomic background or whether we live in rural or urban Ireland, no one is immune from the risks or harm of illicit drug use. In every community across the country, we see the damage drug addiction inflicts on people’s lives. We see the needless and often preventable loss of life through overdose and disease transmission. We see the insidious affect of drug-related violence and intimidation on communities. I believe there is a strong consensus in the Oireachtas and among the general public that the State and society generally need to respond far more effectively to the problems caused by illicit drug use.We need to reduce harm, supply and demand and increase resilience, health and well-being in society. The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to the establishment of four citizens' assemblies on biodiversity loss, the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures best suited for Dublin, the future of education and drugs use. The first two of these, the Dublin Citizens' Assembly and the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, have now concluded their work. The Dublin Citizens' Assembly submitted its final report and recommendations to the Oireachtas in December 2022. The Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss held its final meeting on 21 January last. Its report and recommendations will be submitted to the Oireachtas in the coming weeks.

At its meeting last week, the Government agreed to establish a citizens' assembly on drugs use.As Minister of State with responsibility for public health, well-being and the national drugs strategy, I am pleased to bring forward in this House the motion approving the establishment of the citizens' assembly on drugs use. The terms of reference for the assembly have been designed so that they are sufficiently well defined to provide a clear focus for the assembly. At the same time, they are not so prescriptive as to inhibit the scope of the assembly to define its work programme, as it deems appropriate.

In setting the terms of reference, it is important that we pay heed to the experience and advice of previous citizens' assemblies. On more than one occasion, those who have been involved in leading citizens' assemblies have stated that the terms of reference should not be expressed in an overly precise way. Every citizens' assembly needs discretion and flexibility to define and organise its work programme as it deems appropriate. The Oireachtas must of course set the direction and the broad parameters but then it must step back and allow the citizens' assembly the freedom and autonomy it needs to do its work in an independent manner. We need to trust the process and trust the members. I believe the proposed terms of reference for the citizens' assembly on drugs use as set out in the motion before the House provide the necessary scope and autonomy for the assembly to determine its work programme, to consider all issues it deems relevant to drug use in Ireland and to deliver carefully considered recommendations to the Oireachtas. The terms of reference state that the citizens' assembly shall consider and make recommendations in respect of changes the State might make to significantly reduce the harmful impacts of drugs use on individuals, families, communities and wider society. In its considerations, the assembly will be asked to take into account the implications for the health, justice and education systems.

As part of its work, the assembly will focus on the lived experience of individuals, families and communities impacted by drug use. This is very important. The voices of those most affected by drugs must be heard if the assembly is to deliver on its mandate. Alongside this, the members will be asked to consider a range of perspectives on drug use, from a national point of view and also from experiences across Europe and internationally. It will also consider the efficacy of current responses to drug use and best practice in promoting and supporting rehabilitation and recovery from drug addiction.

Ireland is widely regarded as a world leader in deliberative democracy and the citizens' assemblies have become an important part of the Irish democratic process. The recommendations of previous citizens' assemblies have influenced significant changes in how we as a State live our lives, including through constitutional change, legislative change and changes in the design and implementation of policy. It is clear to me that a citizens' assembly on drugs use can make an invaluable contribution to inform the Oireachtas and the Government in our response to the challenging issue of drug use.

The citizens' assembly can also make a valuable contribution to a wider societal debate on drugs policy. There are differing viewpoints within the Oireachtas, among front-line service providers and among the general public about the most appropriate way to respond to the challenges posed by illicit drug use. The Government has set out its approach in the national drugs strategy which emphasises the importance of a health-led approach. In recent years, several Oireachtas committees have considered issues around drug use and I expect that Oireachtas Members will follow with interest the progress of the citizens' assembly. The assembly will engage comprehensively with professional bodies, stakeholders, representative groups, the general public and national and international experts. The citizens' assembly should and must operate entirely independently of Government and the Oireachtas. It is important therefore, that the assembly is afforded the time and space to undertake its deliberations carefully and comprehensively. There is of course a reporting relationship between the citizens' assembly and the Oireachtas. The motion before the House proposes that the assembly should report, in the first instance, to the Houses of the Oireachtas which, on receipt of the final report of the assembly, will refer the report to the relevant Oireachtas committee for consideration.

In addition, it is proposed that the Government will provide, in the Houses of the Oireachtas, a response to the recommendations of the assembly and an indication of a proposed course of action, where appropriate. The Dáil will debate the report of the assembly and the Government's response. The citizens' assembly on drugs use will include an independent chairperson and 99 members of the general public, selected using a random selection process. Building on the successful experience last year, eligibility for membership will extend beyond those enrolled on the electoral register, to include all residents in the State. This opens the citizens' assembly up to non-Irish residents and other people who, for whatever reason, are not enrolled on the electoral register. Recruitment will be done by a postal campaign with 20,000 randomly selected households invited to participate in the assembly. Members will be selected on the basis of gender, age and geographic location to ensure that the citizens' assembly is as representative as possible of wider Irish society. We have learned much from the experience of previous assemblies and following the use of this process last year I am confident this approach will continue to optimise the representativeness of the citizens' assembly. The timeline is ambitious but achievable. The inaugural meeting will take place in April, with the assembly scheduled to conclude its work and submit its report by the end of the year. I wish the assembly every success.