Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use for its work over the past six months or so, although I kept a close eye on it and gave out every now and again, as you do, just to make sure the agenda was moving along.

I spent the weekend dipping in and out of the hearings. At some stages, I was trying to figure out what was going on and what was being presented. Then, on Monday morning, I went back over the transcripts again to try to understand the votes. The biggest concern for me at the time was they did not mention decriminalisation. Now, on reading the transcripts from the secretariat – I hope we can get more communication from the chair, Paul Reid, and the secretariat as to why they did not – my feeling is they may feel there are some legal issues with decriminalisation because outside of their remit is the problem for stop-and-search powers of An Garda Síochána. An Garda Síochána believes that decriminalisation means its ability to stop and search will be removed. Why would you want to stop and search if the only reason you are stopping and searching is for possession, which would be decriminalised? We need to have a larger conversation on the reasons we stop and search someone. People can still be stopped and searched if they are suspected of selling drugs, are suspected of having a weapon or are suspected of having robbed something. It does not stop.

Reading the recommendations over the weekend, it gave me huge hope and excitement to see what will happen over the next six months. Even though we engage intellectually, theoretically or philosophically over this issue, it was clear from the citizens’ assembly that they do not agree with the status quo. Only 12 to 13 people on each vote voted to uphold the status quoof how we treat people who use drugs. That is a strong message from our citizens and the people of Ireland that they want change in respect of drug decriminalisation.

The next step is for us as an Oireachtas. In the terms of reference for the citizens’ assembly, it stated that it will be sent to the Oireachtas for a committee. It does not specify if it is a special committee. I would welcome it going to the Committee on Justice, which has done work on this in the past six to 12 months. It would be a perfect space to take those recommendations forward and see drug decriminalisation and the end of stigmatisation of people who use drugs in Ireland.

I welcome and look forward to reading the full report. The recommendations have been released but the full report will follow. I hope that in this term of Government, we can move the conversation another step closer. My first Bill, in 2016, was on drug decriminalisation. I will not say I am getting tired, but I may be getting tired. Hopefully we will have some breakthroughs in the next while.