THE NATIONAL DRUGS Strategy is “aspirational, unbudgeted and speaks of services that don’t exist”, according to Gary Gannon.

The Dublin Central TD said the draft strategy, which will soon go through public consultation, “ignores” the recommendations made by the Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use.

The Citizens’ Assembly had urged complete decriminalisation of possession of drugs for personal use. The new strategy stops short of making such a commitment, but emphasised the need for diversion from custodial sentences.

It encourages rehabilitation in such cases, such as through a Drug Treatment Court, which is an option in the UK. For those already incarcerated, similar care pathways are needed, as well as post-release supervision.

Child criminal exploitation in the drugs trade should be disrupted and alternative pathways should be available, it said.

It also recommends the expansion of services for families and individuals affected by drug intimidation.

Gannon, who is the Social Democrats’ justice spokesperson, says the 46-page strategy is “light on detail” and largely aspirational.

“The parts where the citizens of the country got together and made recommendations, they’ve all been ignored,” he said.

“There is more of a focus on health-based alternatives (to criminal sanctions). That’s welcome, but that should have happened long ago.”

Gannon isn’t convinced spending will increase sufficiently to provide the services the strategy says are required.

“Drug intimidation [prevention] received a paltry €280,000 last year.”

He says a targeted approach is needed when allocating resources.

“The minister keeps using the phrase that drugs are in every community in Ireland now, and that’s true, but drugs and the impact of drugs in terms of deaths and addiction, are still concentrated in the most marginalised groups,” he said.

“I hear incredible stories every day of gaps in service provision.”

For example, although counselling may be available, there is currently no prison-based rehabilitation programme for women in Mountjoy. “That’s how far behind we are,” said Gannon.

“This strategy is not going to do anything to address the absolute plethora of issues that we’re seeing.”

Assessing the substance abuse issues nationally, the strategy says large-scale interdictions receive public attention, but the impact of drug markets “is felt most keenly at the local level” through the undermining public safety and the recruitment of young people into criminal networks.

The strategy was developed by an expert steering group, supported by a reference group of frontline service workers and people with lived experiences of problem substance use, the criminal justice system and homelessness.

Drug decriminalisation became a talking point during the last general election, when Fianna Fáil committed in their manifesto to change the law. However, the party later clarified that this would only apply to certain drugs, such as cannabis, and not cocaine or heroine.

In 2017, when Simon Harris was health minister, he launched a harm-reduction strategy, which led to a new approach to dealing with people found in possession of drugs for personal use.

First time offenders are now referred to the HSE for health screening, rather than to the criminal justice system.