LAST UPDATE | 5 Nov

THE LABOUR PARTY brought a private members motion to the Dáil today on the decriminalisation of drug users.

Labour’s Health spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD called on the Government to, amongst other things, decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use and move towards a health-led response.

“The current war on drugs has not worked. Drugs are in every community across this country, they’re almost in every bar, every sports club and even workplaces”, she said.

She said the approach currently taken towards drug users in this country encourages stigma and prevents people seeking help for their addiction.

“It is unconscionable to me that we have people dying on our streets from drug overdoses,” she said.

Labour said the government has shown “little progress” on decriminalisation despite recommendations to do so, while the use of controlled drugs continues to rise.

Limerick Labour TD Conor Sheehan, who said Limerick has become “the crack cocaine capital of Ireland”, said drug users must be taken out of the courts and into health services.

In January 2024, the head of Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use recommended Ireland move towards the decriminalisation of possession of drugs for personal use.

The assembly voted that the State should take a comprehensive health-led policy response to dealing with people who are in possession of drugs for personal use.

At the time, the head, Paul Reid, said changing Ireland’s approach to drug use represents a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to help people affected by addiction.

Health led response

The party is calling on the government to implement a health-led response to the possession of drugs for personal use and to decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use by repealing Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1997.

It also said there should be moves to develop more safe consumption spaces in Ireland’s main cities and said multi-annual funding should be given for harm reduction services, and the resources necessary to support people who use drugs.

It wants the upcoming National Drugs Strategy to be designated as an interim strategy, recognising that the final government response to the Citizen’ Assembly is due in June 2026.

It also wants a dedicated Cabinet Committee on Drugs Use to prepare a response to the policy and legislative changes that will be necessary following the final Committee report.

Any drugs-related policies and services should be designed with involvement from people with living and lived experience of drug use, the party added.

In response to the motion, Minister for State at the Department of Health Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, said people found with drugs for personal use will be given an opportunity to engage with health care services but possession of controlled drugs will remain illegal.

The operational details of the scheme are currently being finalised by the Director of Public Prosecutions and An Garda Síochána.

She said her Department i working on increasing accessibility to naloxone – a medication to prevent fatal opioid overdoses.

She reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to a health led approach to drug use.

“People experiencing problematic drugs should be met with compassion, dignity and care”, she said.

She said the government is working on a successor to the current National Drugs Strategy to cover the period of 2026-2029.

It will include the recommendations of the Citizens Assembly on Drug Use, including a health led approach and perspectives from people with lived experience.

Murnane O’Connor said her Department hopes to have a first draft complete by this December and publish the strategy in 2026.

She said over €300m will be invested in drug related expenditure, including €160m in drug users services.