The Oireachtas Justice Committee is preparing to recommend the Government decriminalise the possession of small amounts of all drugs in a bid to alleviate pressure on garda resources and the courts from low level crime.
The committee - chaired by Fine Gael TD David Stanton - is expected to urge the Government to introduce drugs laws similar to those in Portugal. There possession of certain quantities of all illegal drugs - including cannabis, cocaine, and heroin - is no longer a crime.
It is still against the law to take and possess drugs in Portugal but offenders are treated similarly to motorists who breach traffic offences. Police have the power to prosecute but can also send drug users to special courts where criminal records are not handed down.
Instead, those caught in possession are given fines or forced to get medical treatment if addicted.
Source: Philip Ryan, Irish Independent, 19/10/15
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