Home > Report of the Committee on a Harm Reducing and Rehabilitative approach to possession of small amounts of illegal drugs.

Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. (2015) Report of the Committee on a Harm Reducing and Rehabilitative approach to possession of small amounts of illegal drugs. Dublin: Houses of the Oireachtas. 31/JDAE/035.

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The Committee, based on the evidence presented to it, makes the following recommendations:

1. The Committee strongly recommends the introduction of a harm reducing and rehabilitative approach, whereby the possession of a small amount of illegal drugs for personal use, could be dealt with by way of a civil/administrative response and rather than via the criminal justice route.

2. The Committee recommends that discretion for the application of this approach would remain with An Garda Síochána/Health Providers in respect of the way in which an individual in possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use might be treated.

3. The Committee recommends that any harm reducing and rehabilitation approach be applied on a case-by-case basis, with appropriately resourced services available to those affected, including resources for assessment (e.g. similar to the Dissuasion Committees used in Portugal) and the effective treatment of the individuals concerned.

4. The Committee draws attention to the success of ‘informal’ interaction with users when referred to the ‘Dissuasion Committees’ in Portugal and recommends that such an approach should be employed in Ireland if the recommendations in this report are to be adopted.

5. The Committee recommends that resources be invested in training and education on the effects of drugs and that appropriate treatment be made available to those who need to avail of same. The Committee feels that out-of-school ‘informal’ interaction by Youth Services could have a major role to play in this context.

6. The Committee recommends that research be undertaken to ensure that the adoption of any alternative approach be appropriate in an Irish context.

7. The Committee recommends that in addition to other measures, enactment of legislation in relation to Spent Convictions be prioritised.

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