Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I join the expressions of sympathy to the family of the late Carmencita Hederman. Like Senator O'Loughlin I remember her well. She was ubiquitous during the Dublin millennium year of 1988 and was a colourful, articulate presence on the media scene. People noticed her, heard her and talked about her. We recall her distinctive contribution to Irish political life and send our sincere sympathies to her loved ones.

According to the Irish Examiner last month, there are vape shops selling psychoactive substances across the counter. We have been here before with head shops selling unspecified dangerous drugs. It was thanks to the 2010 Act that we managed to get them closed down. I see no reason gardaí have not been directed to close down vape shops selling psychoactive substances. Do we need the reporting of deaths before action is taken? It seems clear from the evidence presented in the Irish Examiner that psychoactive substances are being sold and it seems clear also there are professionals out there who will testify to the effects of such substances, so why no action? I fear I know the answer, namely, the Government is soft on drug sale and usage. The programme for Government talks about a "health-led approach" to drugs, which is often unfortunately a code phrase for decriminalisation or even legalisation. I do not object to health interventions for addicts but we should all be clear that our society, especially vulnerable young people, needs the support and protection of the law. Sometimes I get the impression that we do not care about young people anymore and that we are so sold on some principle of autonomy that we do not want there to be any guardrails in society. I was very disappointed by the Fianna Fáil manifesto, which certainly suggested the party was soft on drug use.

Now that the new drugs committee has begun its meetings, I hope it takes this problem more seriously than the predecessor committee did, though I fear it will not. I reviewed that committee's 59 interim recommendations. It heard from selected professionals, but I say "selected" because I could not see that there were any or many witnesses who were specifically opposed to the decriminalisation intent of the progressives on that committee. Regarding vapes containing psychoactive substances, that committee failed to make any recommendations despite the evidence heard. That is incredible. The interim report rushed out in October before the Dáil was dissolved was full of radical proposals but the committee members could not find it in their hearts to urge the use of the 2010 Act to prevent the selling of psychoactive substances in vape shops.

It should not be too much to ask of a Minister for Health or justice to come in here and tell us what is being done about these dangerous substances that are being sold over the counter across the length and breadth of the country. Professor Bobby Smyth, a consultant in child and adolescent psychiatry and a clinical professor at Trinity College is quoted in the Irish Examiner:

There is no evidence that it is being taken seriously. The only thing that indicates that something is being taken seriously is if they do something about it and a decision appears to have been taken to do nothing.

I hope we will have a Minister in here to tell me it is not true.