New Health-Led Scheme for Personal Possession

I welcome the recent introduction of a new health-led pathway for personal drug possession as recently announced by the Minister for Drugs, although, there must be immediate scope for a review as there remain elements of concern with the scheme.

This new measure will give eligible people found in possession of drugs for personal use the opportunity to engage with health services instead of facing an immediate criminal justice response through The Health Referral Scheme.

The Scheme will allow An Garda Síochána to refer eligible first-time offenders to appropriate health supports where the offence relates to possession of drugs for personal use.

For years I have been advocating for an inclusive, health-led approach for how we address the issues for those suffering from addiction or drug related issues. While there are many elements of this that are welcome, I have urged the Minister that there must be scope to expand the scheme.

The success of the scheme will depend entirely on its implementation - as the Minister noted when it was announced, early engagement with services to provide advice and reduce the potential long-term impacts will be key. It remains the case that the largest measures to address drug-related issues should still be focused on those involved in the sale, supply and exploitation linked to illegal drugs. It is important to note that this new scheme does not legalise drugs, it merely shifts the prosecution away from the first-time user to focus more on the offending seller and supplier of the illegal product.