Roísín Shortall to press Leo Varadkar over delays to drug laws

Former drugs minister Róisín Shortall has said there appeared to be a “reluctance” within the Department of Health to bring in long-awaited regulations to address widespread abuse of prescription drugs.

Ms Shortall is to press Leo Varadkar, the health minister, for answers on the delay in the Dáil this week.

The TD was responding to statements from the department that regulations controlling the sale and possession of benzodiazepines, which are tranquillisers, and Z-drugs, which are sedatives, would be published “later this year”.