The National Drugs Strategy 2026-2030 has been published. It moves Ireland incrementally closer to decriminalising the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use as recommended by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Drugs Use earlier this year. The committee reviewed the recommendations of the 2023 Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use which also advocated decriminalisation through the adoption of a health-led approach.
The new strategy advances this goal somewhat by elevating “health supports to people coming into contact with the criminal justice system due to drug use” to the status of a core goal, while de-emphasising the use of criminal sanctions.
It is a fudge but does go some way towards closing the gap between Government policy and the reality on the ground. The Garda are increasingly availing of existing alternatives to criminal prosecutions. These include the use of adult cautions and District Court warnings or fines. A health referral scheme introduced last month offers another alternative to prosecution.
The approach is reminiscent of what used to be termed Irish solutions to Irish problems. The phrase encapsulates a continuing hesitancy to address politically fraught social issues.
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Despite the clear recommendation of the Citizens’ Assembly – which found its way into Fianna Fáil’s general election manifesto – and the equally clear view of the Oireachtas committee, it is apparent that many in Government still feel the public are not ready for even partial decriminalisation.
Fine Gael leader Simon Harris and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan appear to be the most vocal opponents. Taoiseach Micheál Martin is firmly on the fence, while Minster for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill – who has previously supported the move – appears to be biting her tongue.
The reality is that the limited decriminalisation of small-scale personal drug use is now the reality in many cases, while the State will continue to crack down on their trafficking and sale. Given the huge costs to society this, too, must continue and not be seen to be diluted in any way.
