Minister awaiting justice committee decision on policy similar to that used in Portugal.
The decriminalisation of drug use could become an all-party position, similar to the recognition of Travellers’ ethnicity and changes to prostitution laws, if the Oireachtas Justice Committee backs the proposal this week, according to Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, the Minister in charge of the National Drugs Strategy.
Speaking in London, where he was addressing an international workshop on drugs policy, Mr Ó Ríordáin said he was optimistic that the committee would recommend a decriminalisation policy similar to that in operation in Portugal.
“If the justice committee agrees that decriminalisation is where we want to go, that takes the political football out of it. That means that every political party and none who are represented on that committee are in favour of decriminalisation,” he told The Irish Times.
The Minister said he expected the Labour Party to campaign for decriminalisation of drug use in the next general election but he suggested that, even if the proposal wins broad support, it could take years to implement.
Source: Denis Staunton, The Irish Times, 02/11/15
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