- ITV Report
Decriminalisation of class A drugs on the agenda in Ireland
Ireland's drugs minister has announced the country will consider the decriminalisation of class A drugs including heroin and cocaine.
Speaking at an event at the London School of Economics on Monday, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin also said injection rooms for drug users would be made available in Dublin from next year.
The minister outlined plans to decriminalise the consumption of small amounts of drugs including heroin, cocaine and cannabis, but said it would remain a crime to profit from the sale or distribution of illegal drugs.
He told the Irish Times: “I am firmly of the view that there needs to be a cultural shift in how we regard substance misuse if we are to break this cycle and make a serious attempt to tackle drug and alcohol addiction."
Other cities would open "clinically controlled" injecting rooms following a review of the Dublin facility which he said would be opened next year.
“Research has shown that the use of supervised injecting centres is associated with self-reported reductions in injecting risk behaviours,” Mr Ó Ríordáin said.
Earlier this year the possession of more than 100 drugs and substances, including Class-A drug ecstasy, became legal for 24 hours in Ireland. Emergency laws were rushed through the country's parliament after a man challenged the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 at the Court of Appeal in Dublin.