The fourth meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use that is meeting through this weekend at The Grand Hotel, Malahide, has heard a range of perspectives on Ireland’s place in the international drugs trade and associated criminal activity. Speakers representing An Garda Síochána and other organisations involved in monitoring the international drugs trade described how extensively that criminality in Ireland is related to drugs trafficking, sale and distribution, which in turn is driven by consumption demand, and that this must be considered in any assessment of changes to existing drugs laws. The meeting also heard examples of how the courts, Gardai and community organisations can help divert those who use drugs away from criminalisation through a range of health and education-led interventions and rehabilitation methods.

Many speakers commented that current resources are extremely stretched, both in terms of addressing the supply of drugs into Ireland and in providing appropriate services to people who use drugs when they enter the criminal justice system. The Assembly will continue its deliberations through the weekend, with Sunday’s session focussing on what Ireland’s drugs laws could look like if any changes are to be made. Members will have the opportunity to consider the question of legislative approaches ahead of the fifth and sixth meetings of the Assembly when they will vote on final recommendations to be made to the Oireachtas.

Speaking about today’s meeting the Chair of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use, Paul Reid, said, “We are now over halfway through the Assembly’s work programme and are starting to focus on what type of final recommendations we will make. As part of this, it is extremely important to consider the views of those involved in how the justice system manages the drugs issue. “This is an extremely complicated discussion. Members are being provided with a significant level of detail and a range of views that will help us make an informed set of recommendations. I want to thank all speakers and members of the Assembly for their commitment and effort in our important work.”

Youtube recording: fourth meeting of the Citizen's assembly (assembly starts at about 9.30 minutes). Full Citizens' Assembly Youtube channel)

[See also, related news articles at links below]

The agenda for Sunday’s meeting is: Sunday, 3 September 2023 – Grand Hotel, Malahide

9am - Stakeholder Perspective

• Eddie D’Arcy, Youth Workers Against Prohibition
• Prof. Anne Doherty, College of Psychiatrists of Ireland
• Graham Temple, Crainn
• Prof. Bobby Smyth, Cannabis Risk Alliance

10:15 – 12:15 - Exploring Legal FrameworksBrendan Hughes, EMCDDA

• Prof. Tom O’Malley, Galway University
• Dr. James Windle, UCC
• Prof. Yvonne Daly, DCU
• Prof. Andrew Percy, QUB
• Prof. Deirdre Healy, UCD
• Prof. John Garry, QUB and Advisory Support Group

12:45 - Chair’s closing remarks 

Press release, 3 September 2023 - Citizens’ Assembly members consider five models for new laws on drugs use

On the final day of this weekend’s fourth meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use in Malahide, Co. Dublin, the 100 Assembly members considered a range of options and issues in relation to drugs policy and legislation. Members heard from speakers advocating for a range of different approaches to legislative change, and from a panel of speakers with diverse expertise in drugs policy, criminology and legislation.

In a workshop session, members considered a series of possible alternative approaches to legislative issues, ranging from keeping or adjusting the status quo to various options involving dissuasion, diversion, depenalisation, decriminalisation and legalisation. The workshop session was designed to help members clarify the type of questions they might ballot on before finalising their report and recommendations to the Oireachtas. The Assembly will continue to deliberate on these issues through the final two meetings of the Assembly in late September and mid-October.

Speaking about the weekend’s meeting and the task facing members in the coming weeks, the Chair of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use, Paul Reid, said, “We are now two-thirds of the way through our work and members are beginning to focus on outcomes. Through the four meetings to date we have heard from over 50 speakers and received 800 separate submissions from members of the public on the issue of how we can reduce the harm caused by drugs use. There is clearly a huge amount of expertise, opinion, and interest in our work. “But now we must concentrate on what recommendations we are going to make to our legislators in our final report. In doing so we have to consider the range of options available to us and begin to shape what any potential changes to Ireland’s drugs laws will look like. That is why we have debated these five models, although members are in no way bound to these examples and are entirely free to shape them as they see fit when we make our final decisions. 

“Alongside this, it is becoming clear from the discussions that our recommendations will include appropriate implementation of all the laws and policies that already exist. There is an evident mood of frustration among members that measures such as the Health Diversion Programme that was agreed by Government in 2019 and would allow Gardai to divert those caught with drugs to the health system has not yet been implemented. This must be part of the solution along with any new approach that is recommended. “I want to thank all members and speakers for their work and participation to date and look forward to continuing our important work over the next two meetings.”