..Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I believe it is at the Green Party's insistence that there is a plan for a citizens' assembly on drugs in the lifetime of this Government. CityWide, the drug project and lobby group said earlier today at their conference that there has been a 225% increase in the number of drug deaths in Ireland over the past 25 years. We have the fourth-highest overdose rate in Europe. I know it is important to the Minister, his party and every political party in this House that we have a new approach to drug policy. There is a citizens’ assembly in the programme for Government. We in the Labour Party want to work with goodwill to establish that citizens’ assembly. Can the Minister commit to a time that citizens’ assembly will meet? It is crucial that we deal with the issue of drug deaths, and with the pain and suffering that has been caused by the drug industry in Ireland so that we can together find a new approach.

Deputy Eamon Ryan:I agree with the Deputy that we should shift towards a health-centred, rather than criminal justice-centred, approach to the drugs problem we have in this country. I also agree that a citizens’ assembly would be good vehicle to consider some of the complicated issues around that. The real question, from the experience of previous citizens’ assemblies, is the question to be put to the assemblies, as well as how one structures the information that will inform the decisions that they need to make. There is a queue, I understand, of a large number of different issues looking for access to the citizens’ assembly model to help us in policy deliberation. I do not have the exact timelines for which issue comes where. However, I agree with the Deputy. This issue would be very well-suited and well-placed to be considered in the citizens’ assembly. I would support in whatever way I could for it to be delivered.