I join Senator McDowell in thanking all the people we should thank for the efficient and smooth running of these Houses. He ran through them all. Even if we have had a few ding-dongs over rulings on amendments and stuff, other than that, things have moved well, as they always do. I thank the staff across both Houses.

Senator Fitzpatrick mentioned the drugs report. It is important. Ireland is in a unique position. We have had requests to have that report translated into languages like Ukrainian and others, because people are watching the evidence that has been gathered in Ireland over the past five years, especially before the citizens' assembly and by all the working groups. The world is watching how Ireland has done the most extensive interrogation of drugs policy ever seen, and is waiting in hope to see what we do next to make sure that we move with the evidence. It is not just opinion. Some of us obviously have great emotion about the subject or certain opinions, but what is in the report is evidence-based. One of the issues we focused on was obviously section 3 but that is not the only thing in the report. An Garda Síochána has said several times, unchallenged, that section 3 is rarely used and its use has been going down over the years.

I draw attention to RTÉ's report this week on the drug cases in the District Court and the headline that they are up 8% year on year. The chairperson of the board of the Courts Service, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, said that the rise in drugs cases of a less serious kind had increased the workload of the lower courts. There were just over 30,000 new drug cases before the District Court last year, compared with 27,000 in 2024, yet the Garda, even on national television, is saying it does not really use this law, whereas all the evidence says differently. We need to be clear that this report lays out the facts and we need to challenge people when they say otherwise.

This House will have roughly 45 days off. Two people a day, on average, die in Ireland from drug-related issues. In the 45 days before we come back and sit in this Chamber, roughly 90 people will be dead while we have been off. That is the gravity of the situation with drugs.

I remember I could barely write when I started studying addiction. I was 16 when I applied for an addiction studies course. They would not let me on it because they said I was too young and it was for adults. I fought and fought. I did not know how to write an essay. I had not engaged in school since I was about 12. I had been a drug user myself. I remember making a video because I could not write an essay. I got my two friends, who at that stage, aged 16, were strung out on heroin and had been on it since we were at school at 13, and I made a video essay, interviewing them. I found a video cassette the other day and hope I can get it put on something. The essay was about why they engaged in drug use so young. I could barely write an essay when I started studying this. There are not many things I will claim some level of expertise in, but this is one where I will claim it. I have been obsessed with it since I was about 16. I look forward to coming back in the new year, and not just for 90 minutes. We need a substantial time to discuss this report, whether three hours, four hours or six hours. I would welcome the largest possible slot to discuss the most extensive research Ireland has ever done into drugs policy.