Citizens' assembly on drugs
Deputy Ó Murchú seeks a timeline for a citizens' assembly on drugs, citing addiction, criminal gangs and drug debt intimidation. The Taoiseach says Covid has constrained citizens' assemblies and he will revert to the Deputy on the drugs issue.
I would like an answer in regard to the timeline for the citizens' assembly on drugs. Obviously, many in this House and beyond will accept we have a huge drug problem as it relates to addiction, to the lack of services, to criminal gangs and to drug debt intimidation and the huge impact this has on communities and families.
I was shocked the other day when the Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy said he had written to the Taoiseach twice to get a timeline in regard to when the citizens' assembly would happen. I think it is a good idea that we have a citizens' assembly from the point of view that it is sometimes helpful to involve all the stakeholders and experts, and take it outside of this House.
Comment on this
I answered questions last week or the week before on the citizens' assemblies and the timelines for them. One of the big problems we have is that Covid-19 is impacting on the capacity to do citizens' assemblies. We have one at the moment on gender but it has been limited to one or two online engagements, and we are limited in terms of what we can do. I will revert to the Deputy in respect of the drugs issue.