I have two related questions. The first relates to the recently published, and much welcomed, Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016. All sides agree that it is urgent, so can the Tánaiste give some indication of a timeframe for its passage? The programme for Government commits the Government to the development and implementation of a national drugs strategy and I understand work is going on in that regard. Can an update on progress be circulated to Members of the House and arrangements be made for a debate on the strategy in advance of it being published? In this way Members would be able to have an input into the strategy.

The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016 is being debated in the Seanad and, with support from this House and the Seanad, it should become law before the end of this term. We certainly hope the legislation will go through as the Garda Síochána has made it very clear that it needs it to be in place so that it can interrupt the trading in prescription drugs which is taking place at present.

The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Catherine Byrne, is developing the national drugs strategy at the moment and I am sure there will be opportunity, both in committee and in the House, to discuss the details of the strategy in advance. It is extremely important given the damage that drug dealing and the availability of drugs are doing across Ireland, where towns, villages, families and communities are being destroyed by this scourge. We want the strongest possible national drugs strategy and that will be greatly aided by a good debate in the Dáil.