Last week the Health Research Board, HRB, issued a report on drug treatment from 2015 to 2021. To say it made for sombre reading is an understatement. One of the main findings of the report relates to cocaine use in Ireland. Treatment for cocaine use soared by 171% over an eight-year period and cocaine has now overtaken heroin as the main problem drug in Ireland. While I, along with my party colleagues and many other Deputies in this House, welcome the harm reduction policy of the HSE and the Department of Health, we need to go beyond that because it is largely lip service. We need to talk about drug addiction in a very frank way, particularly in the context of the Citizen's Assembly. Having read the HRB's report, it is clear that we are losing the war against drugs, whether we like it or not. It is a losing battle and we need to change direction.

I agree with everything the Deputy has said. The Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, is taking the lead in this area. Additional investment is going in and some important things are happening, including for example, the opening of additional rehabilitation beds for men and women around the country.

Deputy Kenny is absolutely right that this matter will be looked at by the Citizen's Assembly. My view is that it needs to be primarily treated as a health issue rather than a criminal issue. Obviously there is a criminal element when it comes to supply and distribution but for people in addiction, we need to be addressing this issue first and foremost as a health issue.