Cannabis is a `gateway drug' O'Donoghue

Decriminalising cannabis would be a "betrayal" of parents who were trying to keep their families free from the scourge of drugs, the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, told an Oireachtas committee yesterday.

He said cannabis was a "gateway drug." Garda research found it was the initial drug of choice for just over half of drug users. Neither he nor the Garda Commissioner supported decriminalisation, which could lead to a drop in price and increased use.

Addressing the Joint Committee on European Affairs, Mr O'Donoghue said he also opposed the controlled distribution of heroin to addicts. Heroin on prescription has been introduced in the Netherlands and Switzerland and was being considered by Denmark and Germany.

But the Minister said medical advice was that methadone was more suitable than heroin for the treatment of heroin addicts as it reduced withdrawal symptoms and craving without harmful side-effects.

He was replying to questions from Senator Brendan Ryan (Ind) who said countries which had introduced heroin on prescription said it worked.

While he did not advocate the decriminalisation of cannabis, Mr Ryan said limited Garda resources should be geared towards tackling heroin and defending communities from drug pushers rather than combating cannabis. To the best of his knowledge, only one person has died from cannabis in Europe, "and that was because a bale of cannabis fell on them".

The committee was considering illegal drugs, in the context of the EU's proposed action plan which will be discussed early next year. The plan aims to reduce the demand and supply for drugs through increased co-operation between law enforcement agencies and other institutions.

Mr Tony Gregory TD (Ind) asked whether the Minister would give priority to pursuing his European counterparts to ensure there were no "safe havens" for criminals. Major Dublin drug dealers were living luxurious lifestyles in the Netherlands and Spain, he said, including "The Penguin Mitchell" and "Footballer Dunne", in Amsterdam, and one of the men implicated in the murder of Veronica Guerin who was now living in Marbella, he said.

Mr O'Donoghue admitted the issue "has not of late been raised" with the Dutch government. Nor had it been discussed at EU level for some time.

He favoured extending recent Irish laws which freeze criminal assets to other jurisdictions. But there was "very little or nothing I can do about that".

The Minister also told the committee that tough new penalties for pubs, off-licences and supermarkets which sold alcohol to underage drinkers were included in the Intoxicating Liquor Bill to be published in January. The new legislation would put the onus on the vendor to ensure the person served was over 18.