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THE NEW GOVERNMENT has pledged to press ahead with plans for supervised drug injection centres. The Fine Gael-led minority administration will also support a health-led rather than criminal justice approach to drugs, it was confirmed today in the new Programme for Government.
There were concerns among campaigners that plans for the injection rooms, which were championed by former drugs minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, could be set aside by the new government.
And speaking to TheJournal.ie after losing his seat in the general election, the former Labour TD said he had “no idea” what would happen to the plan he had set in train.
The Fine Gael-Labour cabinet last year approved amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Bill which allow for the establishment of supervised injection centres, but the legislation has not yet been introduced in the Dáil or Seanad.
Ó Ríordáin had warned that any new health minister could take the provision out of the bill if there was “political pressure” or the issue proved to be “too thorny”.
However today’s programme for government document confirmed the issue was still being pursued. It included the following points, in the area of drug policy:
‘Serious and complex problem’
Tony Duffin of the Ana Liffey Drug Project, who has been leading the campaign for injection centres, welcomed the development this evening – and said there was also strong evidence to support a health-led approach to drugs.
“Needless to say, Ireland has a very serious and complex drugs problem,” Duffin said.
We need to accept that we can’t solve the problem of drugs in society – rather we can better manage the situation to reduce the problem and improve the situation for all.
Duffin also called for “brave ministerial leadership to continue on the path of progressive drug policy,” adding:
To do that, Ireland needs a Minister of State who is solely focused on the drugs issue.
Looking to Portugal
Both Ó Ríordáin and a cross-party Oireachtas committee have citing the ‘Portuguese Model’ as a possible way forward.
In a report published late last year, the committee ‘strongly recommended’ that the possession of small amounts of drugs be decriminalised, and that possession be dealt with by way of a civil response rather than under the criminal justice system.
While it is still an offence in Portugal to possess illegal drugs, it is now treated as a civil or administrative matter in cases where a person is found with a quantity of up to 10 days’ supply for personal use.
Drug overdose deaths in Portugal are the second-lowest in the European Union. Among Portuguese adults, there are three drug overdose deaths for every one million citizens.
The EU average is 17.3 per million.
It’s expected the first planned injection centre will be in the centre of Dublin.
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In all fairness that’s a great result.
Excellent
Great news. Congratulations and best of luck to all students beginning college in this difficult time.
To think we were laughing at the UK making a bo**ix of their calculated grades system, we then said hold my beer.
Good stuff. Delighted for those impacted but leaving very should never have been cancelled.
I’d say Simon is not missing the health portfolio these days…
Brilliant outcome. Good luck to all the students involved.
This further disadvantages the LC class-of-2019. Already hit with a new system that yielded record results and so put them at a huge disadvantage w.r.t. their LC-2020 counterparts – they are now further back in the queue because 2020 students were upgraded only (but not downgraded) because of the system errors.
Tens of thousands of them – why is nobody “moving mountains” for them ?
Simon is really a great minister what he has done in 2020! Much respect for him.
It’s a great turn around, but they should not be left out of pocket. Will they be reimbursed for fees already paid to a different college, for books and other items specific to the original course they were offered which they have paid for? Deposits on now useless accommodation?
@Dave Gillen #wearamask #noToRacism: I guess there will be a scramble for accommodation now. Only high end units left!
Good news, though tbf at this late point, they might as well defer.
@willow moon: Why?
Most colleges only started back last week or the week before and are online. the majority of lectures are recorded on blackboard or moodle.
No hassle catching up.
@willow moon: not really, a lot of courses would have started later this year anyway and even if they started the first week of September catching up is definitely doable since there’s a lot of introductory stuff in every course
@Fiona Reidy: results only released on 7th September and CAO on 11th September so they didn’t start first week .
Just out of internet and to clarify, does this mean the initial 424 students that received course places before the coding debacle have now been removed as it were or “squeezed out” fairly? Are they being reimbursed/compensated for their course fees, accommodation, and other expenses by the Department of Education per se??
@Kiern Mcx: Or did the latter 424 students get additional places in the respective courses so the initial 424 didn’t lose out on their places?
A week where this story dominated everything from the Dail to the airwaves one muppet of a TD even called for a full public inquiry costing millions never mind the amount of calls for the Ministers head.
This actually affected only 450 out of 60,000 students and they now all have been sorted within two weeks .
We really do need to cop ourselves on and calm down on the indignant outrage for a small bit.
Not my Daughter! 2 points short for Pharmacy due to downgrade in Chemistry not to mention points through the roof this year! Teacher gave her H1 no word on her appeal she got H2!
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