The move is being made on the back of concerns among pro-decriminalisation organisations that the State group is considering backing a diversion scheme for those caught in possession rather than decriminalisation.
“The National Drugs Strategy sets out our ambition for a health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland and it commits us to developing our responses based on the available evidence — we don’t believe that opting for a diversion programme meets the requirement to be either health-led or evidence based,” said Anna Quigley, director of CityWide, an umbrella body of community drug groups.
The Irish Examiner reported in January that the state working group on alternatives to criminalisation for possession had learned of difficulties in decriminalising possession because of the Irish legal system. It is understood the committee heard that possession needed to remain a criminal offence in order for gardaí to have legal authority to refer people caught in possession to the health services. The group received a three-month extension in December to finalise its recommendations and report.
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 27th March 2019
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