Deputy Sherlock Letter to Minister re: National Drugs Strategy

Dear Minister Murnane O’Connor,

I write in respect of the draft National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029. While I welcome publication of the draft and much of the spirit of the strategy, I believe that there are fundamental flaws which must be addressed by this strategy, and indeed, by you as the Minister with responsibility for this strategy.

Unfortunately, I believe this strategy has turned its back on large parts of the Citizen’s Assembly recommendations which should have formed the basis of this strategy. I am asking that this strategy is urgently amended to include decriminalisation and to embed within it an understanding and actions to address the structural factors of addiction which impact many disadvantaged communities across the country and in my own constituency.

This strategy is lacking in acknowledging and addressing the structural roots of addiction, namely socio-economic disadvantage, poverty and deprivation. Indeed, that failure runs contrary to recommendation 15 of the Citizens Assembly report which states that “drugs policy should prioritise the needs of vulnerable and marginalised groups and disadvantaged communities”. 

It is my view that without embedding this understanding in the principles underpinning the strategy, the strategic objectives, or actions that we will continue this decades long game of cat and mouse to address the drugs crisis with minimal success.

However, I do want to welcome that the principles and strategic goals of the draft National Drugs Strategy rightfully focus on the provision of services across population groups, recognise the diverse the needs of women and minority groups and seek to protect communities from the harms of drug and alcohol use. I believe the strategy would be enhanced by recognising further structural factors such as deprivation and poverty.

I want to welcome that it recognises the need for gender specific services and gendered support for those experiencing dual diagnosis, homelessness, and domestic and sexual violence. We are often reminded that women’s pathways into addiction, their experiences, and routes to recovery differ from men. We need a much greater number of mother and young child rehabilitative provisions, single occupancy spaces, and gender specific spaces. It also continues to have a strong focus on harm-reduction and a whole-of-government approach. 

For far too long, communities across this country and in my own constituency have been ravaged by drug addiction – whether through losing their child to this horrendous illness, to the violent life of drug dealing or from the intimidation that silently lurks in our communities. 

One thing is clear; addiction often comes from trauma, poverty, lack of opportunity and deprivation. And in recognising that, we must admit to ourselves that we simply cannot police our way out of this problem and recognise that it is illogical to stigmatise and criminalise people who have fallen into addiction.

That is why decriminalisation must be at the heart of any new approach we take to drugs. And I am deeply concerned that this Government is simply not committing to this recommendation contained in the Citizen’s Assembly report.

The health led approach did not just mean access and referral to treatment – it is specifically referenced by the Citizen’s Assembly as a comprehensive, health-led approach with the objective of health diversion, dissuasion, and decriminalisation.

There is not a single mention of decriminalisation in the draft National Drugs Strategy. We believe that any comprehensive, health-led approach that still criminalises the drug user is simply not good enough. Indeed, we see that the draft National Drug Strategy will embed the adult caution system. This continues the pattern of criminalisation and stigmatisation and gives gardaí a significant role in the ‘health-led approach.’ I am not suggesting a carte blanche – we must continue, for example, to deter drug dealing in our communities through the law. And I want to see more action in tackling the widespread grooming of children into a life of crime.

For as long as the Gardaí remain involved in stop and search, in spending precious Garda hours prosecuting personal possession and in actions that are corrosive to building good community relations and perpetuate stigma, we will make little progress towards the full realisation of a comprehensive, health led approach. 

Across Europe, other countries have shown that there is a better way. Switzerland, for example, decriminalized drugs for personal use and the result was transformative — fewer deaths and fewer infections. In Portugal, where they decriminalized drugs for personal use, there was no increase in drug trafficking or the numbers of people who use drugs. They chose health over punishment. The evidence shows that it works.   

Of course, there must be a clear balance for the broader public. We cannot have an acceptance of public drug use, anti-social behaviour, or drug dealing. These are real fears that communities have. But we have clear international experiences to learn from. In British Columbia, they learned quickly that decriminalisation requires significant safeguards to prevent drug public use, including legislation and safer consumption rooms. They enacted that after decriminalisation. There is no reason we cannot do so beforehand.

Minister, I am asking that you clarify whether you accept the citizens assembly recommendation on decriminalisation and commit to ensuring that structural socio-economic factors that contribute to addiction, particularly in disadvantaged communities, are urgently addressed.

Yours sincerely

Marie