Delay on drugs assembly 'will be measured in death and devastation'

Senator says there ought to be a citizens' assembly on drugs use, rather than the one planned to discuss Dublin's lord mayoralty 

Independent senator Lynn Ruane won  support from other senators regarding the need for an assembly on the drugs issue, but her Seanad motion was defeated in a vote. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The Government has decided to set up a citizens’ assembly on a directly-elected Dublin mayor instead of an assembly on drugs use which could “save lives”, the Seanad has been told.

Independent senator Lynn Ruane said Government indications that there will be Citizens’ Assembly on drugs use some time in 2023 will be measured in certain communities in terms of deaths and devastation to families.

Her motion urging it be set up as soon as possible follows a Government decision to set up citizens’ assemblies on a Dublin mayor and another on biodiversity this year, with one on drugs set to follow next year.

As reported in the Irish Examiner this week, CityWide, a national network of community drug groups, and the National Voluntary Drug and Alcohol Sector, which represents voluntary addiction services, both called for the speedy establishment of the drug assembly.

This call was backed by the Psychological Society of Ireland, Amnesty International, and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.

Yesterday, an umbrella group for families of loved ones affected by addiction said a drug assembly was a crucial opportunity to develop an approach to drugs policy that was based on “community development and social justice”.

The National Family Support Interim Steering Group called on the Taoiseach to commit to including the community and the family voice at every stage of the process of developing and implementing the agenda for a drugs’ assembly.

Ms Ruane told the Seanad that when she speaks on the drugs issue, she does not think “it’s felt everywhere”.

She said: “I think, intellectually, people know, but they don’t go home to their communities and do a 360 without seeing the pain, seeing the harm, seeing the misery, seeing the deaths.”

She said a decision was made not to put the drugs assembly down for this year.

What I hear and what people like my community hears is — we weren’t top of the agenda, that people don’t really truly understand what’s going on in communities. We are being failed at a systematic level. 

Ms Ruane said: “We shouldn’t be looking at a lord mayor in this round, we just shouldn’t — find another way to do that.

“We have an urgency and we need to save lives and we’re making a hierarchy and choosing not to do it now — that’s a decision on the part of Government.”

Many senators supported Ms Ruane’s amendment, but it was defeated in a vote.

Independent senator Michael McDowell said Ms Ruane was “100% correct” in terms of the mayor assembly not being needed.

He said the country needed to conduct “deep soul searching” on the drug issue, and said it required a citizens’ assembly.

Government chief whip Jack Chambers said he would bring the views back to Government.