Minister: Treat addicts as patients, not criminals

New drugs minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said Ireland needed to “think differently” about how it approached the problem — and people with an addiction should be dealt with by the health service, rather than the criminal justice system.

His appointment has been warmly welcomed by Citywide, an umbrella body of community drug projects, and Ana Liffey, a voluntary treatment agency.

The minister of state is currently at the Department of Justice with responsibility for equality, new communities, and culture and is a former principal of St Laurence O’Toole’s GNS in Dublin’s north inner city.