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GE2024health led approachFIANNA FÁIL HAS this afternoon clarified that it does not want to see the possession of all drugs for personal use decriminalised.
Its general election manifesto states that the party wants to continue to develop a “health-led response to drug addiction”.
The document states that if returned to Government, Fianna Fáil will “decriminalise drug possession for personal use”.
The document also states that legislation would be introduced that would require those found in possession of illegal drugs for personal use to attend educational or treatment programmes.
It has also promised to publish a formal national position on how best to regulate the use of cannabis.
Speaking at the manifesto launch earlier today, party leader Michéal Martin said the approach outlined in the manifesto “reflects the understanding that the most effective way to deal with drugs is a health-based model, as opposed to a criminal justice-based model”.
He did not outline a timeline for implementation.
However, a party spokesperson has since clarified that Fianna Fáil is not proposing to decriminalise cocaine or heroin.
The spokesperson said the party is committed to implementing the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use recommendation of a health-led response to possession of drugs for personal use, which will require legislative changes.
“We will look at decriminalising drugs such as cannabis, as is done in other countries such as Malta, Spain and Portugal, and not drugs such as cocaine and heroin,” they said.
The spokesperson said people in possession for personal use will, in the first instance be directed to addiction services, similar to the Austrian and Portuguese models.
“In introducing these measures we will engage with other countries that have introduced similar measures and health professionals that have expertise in this area. We will look at the amount of drugs that should be decriminalised for personal use and the number of times that a person can be diverted to health interventions, amoung other issues.
“Fianna Fáil believes that it is time for a change in how drug use is treated in Ireland,” the spokesperson said.
A new approach to drug possession, referring first-time offenders to the HSE for screening was first introduced by Simon Harris when he was Minister for Health in 2019. However, at the time, campaigners for decriminalisation for personal use were critical that the measures did not go far enough.
Last year, a Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use recommended that a health-led approach to drug use be implemented by Government.
It recommended a degree of decriminalisation for the possession of drugs for personal use, in favour of referring people to health services.
This included the possession of cannabis, mushrooms (psilocybin), cocaine, and other drugs.
A decriminalisation model means that drugs remain illegal, but a person found in possession of drugs for personal use does not receive a criminal sanction.
Other pledges
Launched this morning in Dublin, Fianna Fáil’s general election manifesto spans almost 200 pages with 90 different proposals for voters to consider.
Among these is a pledge to increase the entry point to the higher rate of tax paid by workers to €50,000 if elected. Workers currently pay the 40% tax rate on income earned about €44,000.
On the Universal Social Charge, Fianna Fáil has said it would cut the lower rate from 3% to 1.5% “at a minimum” over the lifetime of the Government.
The party has also pledged to increase core social welfare rates by at least €12 annually and increase the State pension to €350 per week. It currently stands at €289.30.
It has also promised it would maintain the retirement age at 66 and legally enable people who want to work beyond the age of 65 to do so.
Other pledges include:
Despite a number of Fianna Fáil TDs sitting on the Oireachtas committee on Assisted Dying, the party’s manifesto makes no mention of introducing assisted dying.
In March of this year, the committee recommended that assisted dying be made legal in Ireland with a number of safeguards.
When asked by The Journal if its absence from the manifesto means that Fianna Fáil does not support the introduction of assisted dying, party leader Martin said “greater thinking through of the proposals and issue” is needed.
“We’re not in a position to commit to any legislative proposals,” he said.
Martin added the Oireachtas Committee did “good work” but he was “not satisfied” that it had an exhaustive look at the issues.
When asked if this undermines the work of Oireachtas Committees, Martin said: “We’re entitled as a party to have a position”.
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‘He did not outline a timeline for implementation.’ ……
No need anyways Michael, we all know you never deliver.. except when it’s an auld Bank Bailout..or property tax..
@Michale Kane: Preventing the collapse of our banking system has annoyed the Trotsky brigade. The refinancing saved the small savers from harm, this must also annoy them as they need angry and poverty for their playbook quest for power to succeed
@thomas molloy: The banking system was not going to collapse.
Certain rogue banks were going to collapse.
And did anyway.
But FF guaranteed those banks.
Which bankrupted the country.
We will pay €15 billion to survive the National Debt next year.
That’s an Apple.
@thomas molloy: FF were the Trotskyites when they gave a great big welfare handout to the Banks. Vote out FFG.
@thomas molloy: Would that be Bank of Ireland that said they didn’t need to be bailed out? And the government refused to vote on behalf of the taxpayer, wow, you really don’t have a clue. Basic fact, the ordinary person paid for the bailout, the rich did not abd you have the santimonious audacity to attempt to educate those who paid for it, the very ones that demand that the rich aren’t taxed adequately, disgraceful. Trotsky never ran a state numbnuts.
@thomas molloy: MM himself used the term ” bailout” 57 times in the Dail, it’s a matter of public record, before he decided to rebrand it an go all Trump and just “go big” with the lies. You can’t waffle on about MSM and misinformation on this one Tommy lad.. He lied and now your lying for him.
@thomas molloy: well, Micheal Noonan also raided private pensions with the same excuse. So taxpayers with private pensions paid on-the-double. Now that the State is awash with cash, 2 things needed: repayment of those raided sums AND the interest accrued on same. Remember, nobody had the option to refuse, and no-one said we gave it as anything other than a loan.
@Michale Kane: what bank bail out…did you not hear him say such a thing never happened..
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: The banking system probably would have collapsed due to inter bank lending. Even if it didn’t, interest rates would have rocketed as banks and the State would have been charged very high interest rates to borrow
@Brian D’Arcy: You shouldn’t engage with that eejit as the waffle never stops spewing
@thomas molloy: back to bed skearon
@Michale Kane: Sorry mate, there was never a bank bail out, according to Micheál…
Wonderful to see, to hell with drug users.
Everything they say they could do, could already have been done by them.
No way. Stop this BS. Thin end of the wedge.
FF just lost any vote I might have given them.
The selling off homeownership to foreign funds has lost my vote. And their immigration is chaotic.
@F1rYnpWc: Immigration is going to be chaotic as long as we’re in the EU. The vast majority of people here are very loyal to the EU because it helped us become a very good economic country in comparison to what we were. So this trend of chaotic immigration will continue for many years to come until it gets to a point where it doesn’t even matter anymore. You deserve what you tolerate and we are definitely getting what we deserve.
@Cole Palmer: The EU isn’t the cause of immigration.
@Ian: UN, EU, Jewish NGOs… all under the same umbrella. Ask Barbara Spectre
@Ian: and who’s fining 100s of millions to Hungary for not taking in ‘war refugees’ to compromise everyones safety? Is it FF? The Green Party? Michael o Leary? No it’s the EU’s ‘court of justice’ for breaking their ‘asylum rules’. I don’t know why you’re in denial of this. No government should be fined for governing the country the way the people voted for it to be governed. If the majority of Hungary don’t want to take in these ‘war refugees’, why should anyone interfere with that? Why should a German, a french, a Spanish and a Swede for example have the authority to go ahead and decide how this SOVEREIGN country should be ran? Does it sound like sovereignty to you that you cannot vote your way out of these packs, as you will be fined into oblivion by foreign diplomats in Europe?
@Cole Palmer: He is in denial, because he is on the Far Left, he would invite the world here, but when it would collapse our State, he will be pointing the finger elsewhere. Ian won’t tell you where he will house all the people coming here right now, as they arriving in record numbers weekly, he won’t tell you where all the schools, GP’s, Hospitals, Public Services that are needed right now will come from, he will just use a bland statement, like we are a rich country. No solutions for right now & he doesn’t even think of the needs of Irish people. He is blinded by Far Left ideology.
@SV3tN8M4: well said. The far left want to take care of the world, when we can barely even take care of ourselves. 14k homeless and rising…
Are they having a laugh at the electorate
@New Boy: You have to read FF like you’re 80. Thats who their target audience is.
Why didn’t he do it whilst in power?
Can’t believe a word from them.
Is it April fools day or what ?
Anybody that votes for lyin Martin will be getting exactly what they deserve. Zilch. The most disingenuous, fibbing politician there is around.
Biggest failure of last 4 governments was to permit cocaine to become socially acceptable among young people in particular.
I don’t agree with stigmatising users but I do agree with stigmatising use and having educational programmes running across sports clubs, schools and anywhere young people congregate.
It’s too late now unfortunately- like trying to get toothpaste back in a tube.
@James Gorman: How did they “permit cocaine to become socially acceptable”?… genuine question.
Michael Martin must be injecting himself with his own bs..
E’s for all
@Trump24: a lot of dem bots on here need something for their trauma
@Kevvy kerrr: bots are computer generated , so they wouldn’t have trauma would they. Think before you speak
@Trump24: “E’s are good”
Simon rushing now to trump him with ‘Crack Cocaine’ for everyone in the audience….
FF trying to but the stoner vote now – no depth to which these two bit politicians won’t sink to.
@McMurphy: Why would any party appealing to the stoner vote be such a terrible thing? ‘Stoners’ are human beings too. Just because they might prefer a little weed to getting blotto on government-approved drugs like alcohol, doesn’t mean they don’t have just as much of a right to be taken into consideration by the politicians who are supposed to represent us.
Let’s face facts – there are many people who are decent, productive, law-abiding citizens apart from their dabbles in a little weed. It’s completely stupid and counterproductive to force decent people into the criminal bracket over their fondness for a certain plant.
@SerotoninWars: are they though? Would you save a stoner from drowning? I wouldn’t
@Paul M Doe: So would you ask the drowning person if they smoke weed before jumping in to save them? Karma is a fickle bitch am sure you’ll figure that out soon enough.
So it will be totally impossible to walk the streets in the city centre especially for pregnant women otherwise you will breath in tons of that disgusting second hand smoke. Just thought of voting FF but they alling themselves with drugs is good for you!
@Sergej Simonov: Nowhere has it been said that drugs are good for you, where did you get that idea from?
@Sergej Simonov: Would legalise and legislate for it. no public use, on the spot fines, have private clubs, dispensaries, mainly allow people to grow their own at home, better for everyone. Certainly there far worse than the smell of cannabis on the street, for me its the various types of excrement, human and animal, far more dangerous too as is monoxide from combustion vehicles, cigarette smoke also more harmful, and on and on
@Sergej Simonov: Well that makes perfect sense and isn’t wildly fantastical at all
@Sergej Simonov: Kyiv is smoke free , go there
Do dope fiends even vote????
@Frank Mc Carthy: Do dopes like you?
@Brendan O’Brien: & the multi account troll goes straight in with juvenile insults, wow, that’s a big surprise!!!
@Frank Mc Carthy: Would you be able to remember your own name at the polling station? (Hint: It’s not Frank Mc Carthy, Kevvy kerrr or Basildon Joe.)
@Brendan O’Brien: ahhh, brenny, I’m the only one on here to give you the benefit of the doubt….. I throw you & all your accounts a lifeline & this is my thanks???? Even more ridiculous ramblings??
@Brendan O’Brien: hey there weirdo…… leave me out of delusional claptrap!!!!!
@Frank Mc Carthy: dude you have so many troll accounts it’s not funny. You Being quiet is what Ireland needs right now.
@David Fox: heyhey brenny…. this 1 replacing the -’chutes’ one, lol
legislation for education / treatment ?? imagine being stopped by gardai on your way home from the local shop with a bottle of wine and them directing you to go to AA meetings.. nonsense…
I don’t think anyone believes a word out of the mouth of that Tammany Hall grifter!
Despite being in power for most of the last 100 years, they decide this now??? Was it a bolt of lightening from the sky? Or is MM dabbling with the Mickey Mouse acid tablets? Vote SF!!!
So the man who made it illegal to have a fag indoors is making it OK to snort a bit of snow. Desperation is setting in.
Lies
Politicians are treating voters like fools and turning people off with their promises .
Now people will technically be able to bring/sell/use drugs even inside/outside Criminal Courts of Justice – “personal use”! Sorry Judge – can I go out for using drugs plus my mate waiting outside for his “personal use dose”?! Sure – walk away – yor solicitor will call you back. It will just make mockery of Justice.
@Sergej Simonov: what? Are you dense?
@Sergej Simonov: are you ok in the head? Seriously what a load of horse manure you just spouted.
education / treatment ?? imagine
Lies Lies and more Lies
Michael is really reaching for his headlines at this stage.. and the complicit media serve dutifully and diligently.
The lad who made it illegal for adults to have a smoke in a pub, he’d ban Anadin, given the chance
@Penguin O’Toole: What is now wrong with the smoking ban?
Gee….. what goodies being offered. We should have a GE every three weeks.
This is good news. Think of the amount of people who want to go to the US or Australia etc to live but can’t because of being convicted for a having a minor amount on them when they were 19 or 20.
People held to ransom their whole lives because of harsh laws and a mistake when they were young.
About Time. Its a huge waste of Gardai resources to hit the little man/women. Law needs changing.
@Mick Hanna: Absolutely.
But taking drugs of any form has consequences, especially when overdone (e.g. alcohol).
Cut all the addiction support by 80% at the same time to make a clear statement about the risks involved.
The job of the government is to take public money and out it into private hands.
Doubling the price of a small bottle of ejuice this summer, then adding 50c a year. W@nkers.
A pledge is not a promise-a promise is not a pledge
… and 2 tickets for the Toy Show for everyone in the country too I suppose ffs
Foo hoc me they’ll do anything for power
All of these election promises are meaningless once Trump lowers US Corp tax to 15% and US companies then put it through back there. Then we’re down 20 billion a year and we’ll be taxed to the hilt again and services cut because Irish governments and the public sector continue to waste taxpayers money.
Don’t believe a word, the same party that wants to ban sunbeds lol
I just want the price of onions to come down a bit
‘The government of an exclusive company of merchants is, perhaps, the worst of all governments for any country whatever’ Adam Smith
A health approach to drug addiction – what exactly do they mean is it healthy drug addicts or what?
Ha ha, Fianna Fáil don’t even know their policies, follow Portugal and decriminalise the ‘erb
I don’t support people’s addictions.
Wouldn’t five anyone of them a vote
Micheal would promise free drugs for all, if it got him elected. The Lies & Empty Promises from these pathological Liars is sickening. It was same last time out & when they formed a Govt, they use the Lie that these promises had to go as it’s a compromise to form Govt. Why do we listen to these Lies & why are RTE giving maximum coverage to these Lies, Misinformation & False Promises.
The perspective of viewing substance misuse as a medical issue rather than a criminal one has been voiced over the past three decades. Redirecting individuals found with illegal substances to addiction services necessitates extra funding, a commitment that past governments have been hesitant to make.
If they are genuinely committed to addressing this issue, integrating addiction and mental health services would be crucial in effectively confronting these challenges.
Gas. We’ll treat drug use as a health issue… except we don’t want to seem soft so only some things. Progress is progress I suppose but talk about kissing the point
A new low for fianna fail going after addicts votes
Mty promise s and lies to stay in government from f/f and mehole a hundred years rule along f/g is enough 4 the irish people whose homes are been given away to forigners
The horse bolted guys.
Not a chance of a vote.
Still waiting for night clubs to be open until 6 am.
@Concerned Driver: nite clubs, does that nonsense even exist anymore?
Interesting fact about Mehole he was a masterdebater in UCC and he’s still W@NKER today. God save us from these clueless fools
For once I agree with them.
Stop explaining and apologising, have a backbone and see sense. The people of this country are far more progressive and understanding of the topic. Enact all citizens assembly suggestions.
There should be no decriminalisation.
Concentrating on the big players is necessary, but if they take one of those out, they are quickly replaced.
The demand is fuelled through small players at the bottom of the pyramid, and in effect, they are the real problem. Unless we make it very difficult for them, the problem won’t go away.
If end users knew that possession could destroy their lives with a criminal record, they might stop being so blasé about so-called ‘recreational drug use.’ If they were faced with a situation where they were getting a criminal record, unless they gave gardai precise details of their supplier, we might start to make progress.
Remove demand, solve the problem. Encouraging users by making it easy for them is pointless.
have your say