Irish Committee Recommends Decriminalisation of Personal Drug Possession
A group of Irish politicians has recommended that possession of all drugs for personal use be decriminalised. The Oireachtas Committee on Drugs published its final report on Wednesday after months of meetings and interviews with witnesses regarding the future of Irish drug policy.
The committee was established in the Irish parliament to consider the recommendations from the Citizens Assembly. The 2024 Citizens Assembly on Drug Use, composed of citizens convened to deliberate on policies, had recommended decriminalising drugs for personal use.
The committee comprises nine TDs and five senators, representing both houses of the Irish parliament. It expressed agreement with the Citizens Assembly that the state should implement a "comprehensive health-led response to possession of drugs for personal use."
"The committee recommends decriminalisation of the person in relation to possession for personal use,"the report states.
It further recommends that local councils enact by-laws similar to those restricting alcohol consumption in public areas.
Politicians on the committee believe that decriminalisation for personal use will "not likely" lead to an increase in drug consumption. However, they acknowledged that a "small" sample of jurisdictions where drugs were decriminalised reported an increase in drug consumption in public areas.
The committee reiterated the need for local authorities to discourage and reduce consumption in public spaces through local authority by-laws, akin to those governing alcohol consumption in public.
"Therefore, the committee recommends that local authorities are required to discourage and reduce consumption in public areas, including through the use of local authority byelaws, similar to those governing the consumption of alcohol in public."
Proposals for Harm Reduction and Sensible Drug Use
The report also calls for updates to Irish laws to provide for "mobile consumption facilities and consumption sites." These facilities would act as harm-reduction measures for people who use drugs and help reduce street use prevalence, according to the committee.
Additionally, the Irish government is urged to conduct national prevention and harm-reduction campaigns promoting "sensible drug use that reduces harm and saves lives."
The committee has called on the government to end short prison sentences for non-violent drug-related offences. Instead, it advocates for a "health-led approach to helping drug users, particularly primary caregivers, to allow them to recover and provide adequate care for their dependent children."
The government will now consider the recommendations from the Oireachtas committee.
Addressing Drug Use and Policy Harms
The committee emphasized that "both drug use and drug policy can cause distinct harms" and stated that both issues should be addressed urgently.
"The state should address these harms through a whole-of-government approach, incorporating health, education and justice-based strategies."
It recommended significantly increasing funding for community-based services as well as residential treatment programs.
The programme for government, agreed upon last year by the coalition of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Independent TDs, does not explicitly promise to decriminalise drugs for personal use. Instead, it states the government will "divert those found in possession of drugs for personal use to health services." However, the government will now consider the Oireachtas committee's recommendation.
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon, who chaired the committee, commented on the report:
"This is not a marginal adjustment. It is a recognition that criminalising people for their own drug use has not reduced harm, and that a different approach is both possible and overdue."
Deputy chairperson Fianna Fáil Senator Mary Fitzpatrick noted the widespread presence of various drugs across Ireland:
"Cocaine, cannabis, prescription drugs and new substances are now present in every county – in villages, towns and cities alike."
