Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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1908. To ask the Minister for Health the work his Department has engaged in to prepare for the proposed citizens' assembly on drugs; if a working group has been established; if the terms of reference for the assembly have been drawn up; and if so, if he will publish same. [19271/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government includes a commitment to convene a citizen’s assembly to consider matters relating to drug use. The timing of this, and other assemblies, over the lifetime of the Government has yet to be determined. One element critical to the success of assemblies has been the opportunity to meet in person. The restrictions experienced with Covid-19 have presented considerable difficulties in this regard, as meetings moved to being held online. The experiences and learning in this new way of working will inform how future citizen’s assemblies are conducted.

In 2019, the Government agreed to adopt a health-led approach to people who use drugs, following the publication of the report of the working group on alternative approach to the possession of drugs for personal use, which was informed by 20,000 public responses. The approach will offer compassion, not punishment, to people who use drugs. The Programme for Government endorses this approach as an important step in developing a public health-led approach to drug use.

An implementation group chaired by the Department of Health is finalising plans for the commencement of the health diversion programme in 2021. The aim of the programme is to connect people who use drugs with health services and provide a pathway to recovery, thereby avoiding a criminal conviction. Under the programme, An Garda Síochána will divert a person found in possession of drugs for personal use to the HSE for a health screening and brief intervention

As outlined in the Programme for Government, the programme will be reviewed after the first full year of implementation to ensure that it is meeting all of it aims and to make any necessary changes.

The health diversion programme is aligned with the strategic priority in the EU Drugs Strategy to provide alternatives to coercive sanctions for people who use drugs. Another such measure is the drugs treatment courts in Dublin and other parts of the country. Ireland is committed to mainstream the implementation of effective measures that have a rehabilitative element and avoid a criminal sanction. To this end, Ireland will share comprehensive and in-depth data and exchange of best practices on alternatives to coercive sanctions with EU Member States.

I look forward to the commencement of the health diversion programme, which will radically change how we deal with drug use in Irish society. I believe that the future availability of data and learning on effective Irish and EU alternatives to coercive sanctions should inform the holding of a citizen's assembly on drug use. The development of a replacement for the current national drugs strategy in 2025 would also be a relevant factor.