A public consultation was carried out to inform Ireland’s new National Drugs Strategy. The report was published in June 2026.1

Method

The consultation was structured around a draft version of the National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029, published in February 2026.2 The Department of Health developed an online tool that was hosted on the EUSurvey platform. The consultation was held over a six-week period between February and April 2026. It assessed level of support across five main components of the strategy: health-led approach to drug use, vision, principles, strategic pillars, and enabling measures. It also gave respondents an opportunity to provide qualitative responses on these components, which were analysed by theme. The final part of the survey included questions on the involvement of individuals with lived or living experience of drug use, and the implementation of the strategy. A total of 321 individuals and organisations responded to the consultation.

Findings

Eighty-seven per cent of respondents strongly agreed or agreed with a health-led approach to drug use. However, no definition of ‘health-led approach’ was provided in the report.

Seventy-three per cent of respondents strongly agreed or agreed with the vision communicated in the draft national drugs strategy.

The draft vision is: A society where the harms from drug and alcohol use are minimised for individuals, children, families, and communities, and where health and social care for those affected is high quality, accessible, equitable, person-centred, integrated, and recovery oriented.

Eighty per cent strongly supported or supported the principles listed in the draft national drugs strategy.

The draft principles are:

• responding to drug use from a health perspective, with an emphasis on evidence-based prevention, harm reduction, and treatment 
• commitment to health equity, including the right to health for people who use drugs and the right of the child to be protected from the harmful effects of drug and alcohol use 
• engagement with people with lived and living experience in the design and delivery of services, including measures to reduce stigma 
• collaborative working within Government and between Government, State agencies, civil society, and impacted communities to address both the causes and consequences of drug use 
• recognition of the diverse social and cultural needs of women and minority groups impacted by drug and harmful alcohol use, and mainstreaming of gender-sensitive responses and interventions 
• integrated responses to drug and harmful alcohol use, with a particular focus on the treatment of polydrug use.

Seventy-one per cent of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that the strategic pillars listed in the draft were a comprehensive response to drug and harmful alcohol use, with between 69% and 78% strongly agreeing or agreeing with the five individual pillars.

The draft pillars are:

• Protect individuals, children, families, and communities from the harmful effects of drug and alcohol use.
• Provide equitable access to high-quality drug and alcohol services across health regions and population groups.
• Champion recovery through drug and alcohol treatment, community services, and in public policies.
• Prioritise health supports for people in contact with the criminal justice system due to drug use.
• Prepare for and respond effectively to a more dynamic and global drugs market.

Sixty-eight per cent of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that the proposed enabling measures help to create the conditions for the effective delivery of the national drugs strategy.

The draft enabling measures are:

• Provide leadership and investment to build capacity to implement the national drugs strategy.
• Use evidence to inform, monitor, and evaluate drug policies and practices.
• Develop collaborative and enabling partnerships to address the global drugs challenge.

There is strong support for the involvement of those with lived and living experience in the design and implementation of the strategy. In response to a question on who is best placed to support the implementation of the national drugs strategy, the responses were:

• the health system (36%)
• families and communities (29%)
• society (24%)
• the criminal justice system (3%)
• no answer (8%).

Respondents had an opportunity to respond to open-ended questions under each area too. The following are some of the main themes found:

• In relation to the vision, the most prominent theme to emerge was a preference for a health-led, person-centred vision. Respondents support approaches centred on prevention, harm reduction, and early intervention, alongside addressing structural determinants such as poverty, trauma, and inequality. 
• In relation to the principles, a major theme is a consistent emphasis for a health-led, harm reduction approach, with strong acknowledgement of equity, lived experience, and cross-government collaboration. 
• In relation to the enabling measures, respondents strongly emphasised the importance of sustained, multi-annual funding across the continuum of care, alongside strong alignment between national, regional, and local implementation. 
• Respondents stressed that the draft national drugs strategy does not sufficiently reflect the realities of individuals, families, and communities most affected by drug use, including issues of trauma, poverty, and social exclusion. 
• There was a focus on recognising the role of community and voluntary organisations, particularly Drug and Alcohol Task Forces, as key delivery partners supported by adequate resourcing, data, and ongoing evaluation. 
• In relation to who is best placed to deliver on the National Drugs Strategy, respondents strongly emphasised the central role of families, local communities, and community services in prevention, support, and recovery, alongside the need for formal recognition and adequate resourcing of these actors. There is a clear expectation that community involvement should be embedded within implementation structures. 
• The legal framework for drugs and the need for the National Drugs Strategy to reflect and address the findings of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use were also noted.

1    Department of Health (2026) Report of the public consultation on the National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029. Dublin: Department of Health. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/45993/

2    Department of Health (2026) Draft: National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029: An integrated, equitable and evidence-based response to drug and harmful alcohol use. Dublin: Department of Health. Available from:
https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/45067/