Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Ruane for all the hard work she has done from day one since she has been elected to this House. On many occasions, Senator Ruane has come in here showing her passion about the real experience that you see in Tallaght that she went through as an individual. Senator Ruane has brought so much to this discussion, for example, the Bill that she brought forward in 2017. We must give credit where credit is due. We would not be here today without the hard work of Senator Ruane pushing through. It was always at the top of the Senator's agenda. I also thank our staff today for the amendments. That needs to be acknowledged.

This assembly will give an opportunity to people to be able to look at the failed policy on drugs that we have had in our country. We have seen the rise of drugs since the policy. We have seen the rise of drug deaths since the policy. Every day, two people on this island die by drugs.

Decades after the legislation was put through, we will be able to have an honest conversation. This assembly will have the potential to change people's lives. We have to invite all people around the table, including members of the Traveller community, working-class people, people of colour, black people, brown people - everybody. It also includes drug addicts - people who are going through the life experience.

As has already been said, we should be looking at the health-led approach to drugs because we know that it works. Evidence and overwhelming research shows that it works. In this country, we should have more detox beds. We should have more services for people to be able to get off drugs and treatment should be accessible for people. There should be safe places for people to be able to inject as well.

Many people from all parts of society use drugs in an unproblematic way. The Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, said in her speech two days ago that she will listen to all the debate and bring all this debate to the assembly. In our amendments, including those tabled by Senator Ruane, we have voiced a worry that the current motion would narrow down the discussion to the harm of drug abuse. We were worried about that but we are open and we will take the Minister of State at her word that we will have a broader discussion. We welcome that.

Has the Minister of State put any thought into how she would tackle some of the issues that come up in the assembly? One of those issues could be people having to take time out to care for a loved one or having different priorities. Is there any payment for those people? When I say that, we are not looking for big salaries or anything of the sort, but a small payment for them.

Regarding people who cannot afford to make written submissions, would we accept oral submissions to the assembly? It is the little things that we have to consider if we are going to do something after all the battling and after all the discussions that we have had here in this House. I would not be as expert in the language as Senator Ruane because it is her field but I know what it is like on the ground. I see it all the time. I have seen families being impacted by drugs. I have seen harmless people getting caught up in drug dealing. I have seen harmless people being evicted and criminalised because of using drugs. Where they are vulnerable and actually the victims of their addiction, they are now criminalised. They are the ones who are behind bars because of drug use. Senator Ruane also did a lot of work on this. This assembly has to look at the decriminalisation of drugs because we should not be saying, especially to poor people and people in poverty, that they are criminal because they take drugs. We should nurture people, look after people's rehabilitation and provide the services I mentioned, such as safe injection spaces and detox services.

We tabled some amendments. If our amendments were accepted, it would be brilliant. At present, we are not too sure if they will be accepted or not. It is the voice of the people. The Civil Engagement Group works with people on the ground who are living this experience.

We can come in here and say that people are causing themselves harm without looking at the root causes. Senator Ruane speaks about it - the trauma, the life experience, the poverty and what we see around us. Sometimes we do not ask to be brought into the communities. A lot of the time, we are lucky. If you are rich, you are very lucky. If you are born into a working-class community in Dublin - you do not choose the community you are born into - sometimes in life it can be that vicious circle.

We need an open discussion. I would stress that people should have the opportunity. There should be no mistakes made. We are old enough. We are at a stage in society where people are open to conversation. Around the drugs issue within our society, there should not be anything left behind. There should be a wide-open space where we can talk about crack cocaine, where we can talk about cocaine and where we can talk about heroin because it is not only about the so-called "simpler" drugs. Drink has more of an impact than crack cocaine or cocaine.

We would ask the Minister of State to consider our amendments. Most importantly, we would appreciate if the Minister of State listens to the people going forward. Let us do it right. If the Minister of State is going to take on this job and we are going to do it, let us do it right. Let us do it collectively together and listen to all people's voices. The assembly should be for all, not for the few.