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LAST UPDATE | 21 Feb 2022
A DELAY IN holding a citizens’ assembly on drug use in Ireland will cost lives, a former drugs minister has warned.
The assembly was expected to take place this year but has been pushed back until 2023, The Journal has confirmed.
Reacting to the news, Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who previously served as drugs minister, said he is “stunned” by the delay and has “lost all patience and confidence in” current minister Frank Feighan.
“This is beyond frustrating. People are dying, apparently their lives aren’t worth enough to act. If cattle were dying at the same rate as people are dying from drug overdoses, there would have been a citizens’ assembly on it yesterday.
“This delay shows the lack of urgency, the lack of care, the lack of compassion of the Government. If Dublin doesn’t have a directly elected mayor in five years, no one will die. This delay is costing lives. It is a disgusting disgrace,” Ó Ríordáin told The Journal.
Ireland has one of the highest rates of drug-related overdose rates in Europe, with hundreds of people dying every year.
Campaigners recently expressed frustration that other topics for citizens’ assemblies were given the green light to take place ahead of the assembly on drug use.
Earlier this month Cabinet signed off on two other citizens’ assemblies that are expected to take place this year, focusing on the State’s response to biodiversity and the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures which best suit Dublin.
These two assemblies will run concurrently and host their inaugural meetings in April.
Despite this, it was still hoped that the assembly on drugs might still happen later this year – with the Taoiseach indicating in the Dáil on 9 February that this was still the desired timeline.
Drugs Minister Frank Feighan today confirmed that the assembly on drug use will not happen in 2022.
“I welcome the clarity on the timeframe for the citizens’ assembly on drug use from the Government leaders. I look forward to the citizens’ assembly taking place in 2023, once the other assemblies are completed,” he noted in a statement.
“I am very positive about the potential contribution of the citizens assembly to the Government’s health-led approach to drugs.”
The minister added that he wants the CA to focus on two issues in particular, namely:
“I would like to see an international component to the citizens assembly, so that we can share good practice from the British Ireland Council work sector on drugs (which I chair) and the EU drugs strategy and action plan, which Ireland strongly supports,” Feighan added.
‘I went down on my knees to beg him’
Ó Ríordáin has consistently raised the issue with Feighan, saying: “I felt like I went down on my knees to beg him because we’ve been waiting for so long for this minister to step up to give any kind of indication that he understands how important his role is.
He noted that, in order to make progress, opposition TDs and senators from various parties and none have tried to work on the issue in a coordinated fashion.
“We want direction, we want leadership. We have been pleading with him to take action.”
Speaking in the Dáil on 9 February, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “As regards drugs policy, it is our view that we will have a citizens’ assembly in the latter part of this year. However, that does not mean there is nothing happening with drugs policy.
“It is an urgent and serious issue that has to be dealt with in the context of a community-up approach, with multidisciplinary supports going into the communities most affected, along with a health-based approach. In any event, we are very seized of the serious situation in many communities as a result of drug abuse.”
Ó Ríordáin said he can’t fathom why there seems to be a lack of political will to tackle the issue, noting the Green Party, as well as certain members of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael “care about this”. However, he added that the inaction to date is “an absolute failure of the two larger parties”.
A Citizens Assembly delayed means lives will be lost.
— Labour Youth (@labouryouth) February 21, 2022
Join us outside the Dáil at 5 p.m. on March 1st where we will demand a Citizens Assembly on Drugs and decriminalisation of drug use in Ireland.#DECRIM pic.twitter.com/PlodXY622g
Labour Youth is organising a demonstration outside Leinster House at 5pm on 1 March to protest the issue.
‘A clear failure’
Senator Lynn Ruane said the delay means it will be virtually impossible for the current Government to address the issue and implement any recommendations within its term.
“It goes without saying that suggesting this work won’t even begin within the next calendar year is not only disappointing but a clear failure on behalf of the minister and department to negotiate a citizens’ assembly on a vital part of his brief,” the independent senator told The Journal.
“To break down the reality of this in terms of action, a delay until 2023, then the nine months or so of the assembly, then a chance for this Government to assess and implement any of the recommendations makes it almost impossible that this Government will address this issue in their time.”
The Seanad is due to debate citizens’ assemblies on Wednesday and Ruane plans to raise the issue at this meeting.
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to convene a number of citizens’ assemblies, including one to consider matters relating to drug use. These assemblies have played a notable role in Irish politics in recent years, particularly ahead of the referendum which repealed the Eighth Amendment and removed the country’s constitutional ban on abortion.
The citizens’ assembly on drugs is expected to run concurrently with an assembly on the future of education next year.
The citizens’ assembly on Dublin’s lord mayor will have 40 randomly selected members, while the assemblies on biodiversity and drug use will comprise 100 members.
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Isn’t a citizens assembly just a way for the government to give the impression they care but don’t do any of the actions the assembly recommend.
@Jason Walsh: As far as I can remember, they recommended that the 8th amendment be repealed.
@Jason Walsh: I agree it’s just a way of avoiding making the tough decisions we pay them to make but in fairness there would have been no referendum on the 8th amendment were it not for that citizens assembly.
@Jason Walsh: It’s a way for politicians to make “politically contentious” changes to law that would otherwise be used against them by opponents for political purposes (e.g. abortion law change or gay marriage change).
Citizens assemblies are ideal for such politically contentious topics.
This is beyond frustrating. Confirmation, as if we needed it, that this government just don’t care. They have no intention of having a citizens assembly on drugs in the lifetime of this government. They never had. Just more lies as we’ve come to expect. Frank Feighan is so far out of touch it’s irrecoverable at this point. Devastating for everyone who works in and is affected by addiction. The message is clear. You don’t matter.
What do you expect from FFFG?
We’re in a situation where health issues aren’t being dealt with as health issues, but as criminal issues. Imagine you got addicted to coffee but if you were caught with coffee, you went to jail and got a criminal record. As a result you lost your job, your address is published, people shame you for using coffee. Does this situation help addiction?
We’re also in a situation where people hundreds of millions are being wasted on prosecuting cannabis users and exposing them to horrible conditions because they decide to consume cannabis. Imagine if people who enjoyed a glass of wine didn’t know what was in the wine, how strong it was, what the contents are, and if they’re going to end up in jail for consuming it. It’s a really sad situation.
Why are people surprised? Frank Feighan is a dinosaur. Look at his past comments on drugs. He is desperate to maintain the status quo.
He also wants to rejoin the commonwealth and is responsible for MUP during inflation in Ireland. A man completely out of his depth and horribly out of sync with the public.
Remember this when Fianna Fail come knocking at your door, looking for your vote. These dinosaurs are desperately trying to maintain the nanny state. Get rid of them all.
@Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri: why is he the minister for this? Paper never refused ink so he’s hardly to blame for getting the post initially but how is he still the Minister? He obviously has a serious bias on the issue.
In other words, they are waiting to see how full legalisation of weed in Germany plays out
This career politician has no experience of the area he is supposed to be ministering..has he ever had a real life job? There’s next to no information about him, his education or work experience before becoming a local councillor. What makes Frank Feighan an expert in this field enough to allocate responsibility to him?
Nixon years ago declared it the ” war on dr!gs ” . It hasn’t worked. Then Nancy Reagan told everyone to ” just say no ” . Similarly, that hasn’t worked either. Both of these power phrases miss the actual point. What if someone already has a drug problem then what do we do? Criminlize them? Outcast them? Call them desperate junk!es with nothing more to offer society? Surely by doing all of the above, we are simply wishing the problem away. That is, of course, until it knocks on out own door.
Are three Citizen’s Assemblies doing their work in parallel not beyond the wit of the civil service to organise and operate? Also is there really one needed on biodiversity? Is that not a particularly onerous scientific matter that isn’t massively contentious anyway?
@Eoin Roche: as far as I understand, the biodiversity one isnt so much a scientific matter as much as it’s a public health/ agricultural one. I think its aimed at addressing the negative effects of urbanization+development on Irish biodiversity
Another year for the Minister for SFA Feighan to do what he does best. SFA.
But cattle ARE dying, firstly they are injected with drugs by us, then killed. They, the cattle, did not choose this way of “life”. Sorry to be cold and clinical about it, but humans have a choice, and, fortunately, most of us try and steer clear of drugs. I suppose in my case I’m pretty happy that my brush with illigal drugs was fleeting. Kind blessings to all.
Called it, said it would be pushed back
Another example of kicking the can down the road.
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