One quarter of Irish people have taken illegal drugs

Almost one-quarter of people in Ireland have taken illegal drugs during their lifetime, according to the latest survey by the Government's National Advisory Committee on Drugs.

The committee says cannabis continues to be the most widely used illegal substance in the country, with one in five people taking it at some stage.

Elsewhere, the survey found 5% of Irish people have tried cocaine, a significant rise on the 2.9% figure uncovered in similar research four years ago.