Latest: Simon Harris rubbishes Fianna Fáil plans to liberalise drug laws
To Drugs Personal To Move Getty Like Decriminalise Fáil Picture: File Fianna Pledged Use Cannabis For Has
Taoiseach Simon Harris has rubbished proposals from both Fianna Fáil and the Green Party to liberalise Ireland’s drug laws, saying that he is concerned about moving to decriminalising drug taking.
Fianna Fáil has pledged to move to decriminalise drugs like cannabis for personal use, while the Green Party has committed to putting cannabis legalisation on the table in government negotiations.
Micheál Martin’s party has said that Ireland should follow the approach taken by countries like Spain, Portugal and Malta, where legal restrictions on cannabis have been eased.
However, Fine Gael has pushed back on the plans with Mr Harris saying he believed there needed to be a health-led approach to addiction, but he disagreed with moving to decriminalise casual drug taking.
“Do we really want to move to a point in Irish society, really want to move to a point where we’re decriminalising drug taking? Not sure, and I certainly don’t,” Mr Harris said.
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“I do think when it comes to things like drugs and decriminalisation, I think we need to be very careful on these things.
“I’d be very interested to know the views of the ICGP. What does the College of General Practitioners think about the proposal to decriminalise drug?”
Mr Harris said that Fianna Fáil needed to set out what drugs they believed should be decriminalised and how much would be covered under their plans.
He added that the government has moved on initiatives to deal with smoking and vapes on public health grounds, but that moves on cannabis would be counterintuitive.
“It sounds counterintuitive to me that there would be mixed messages sent in relation to cannabis because I do think there are real health dangers in relation to cannabis.
“There’s a big difference between addiction and a more casual taking of drugs as well.
“People who have an addiction in this country, whatever that addiction...people deserve to be treated with absolute compassion and health approach."
The comments by Mr Harris are contrary to a recent cross-party Oireachtas report on drug use, which recommended that the government take steps to introduce regulation for certain illicit drugs — particularly cannabis.
The report also recommended that the government introduce a health-led approach, alongside decriminalisation of the individual in relation to the possession of illicit drugs for personal use.
Meanwhile, Mr Harris is calling on farmers to not vote for independents, saying that the three-way coalition with the Greens was required due to Fine Gael losing seats to independent TDs in 2020.
Mr Harris declined to guarantee that Fine Gael would not go into government with the Green Party at an IFA hustings event in Dublin. He instead urged farmers to vote for his own party rather than independent candidates.
“I would respectfully say to farmers that the best way to ensure that they strengthen the voice of Fine Gael in the next government is not to vote for independents because actually, that’s the situation that resulted in my party and perhaps other parties losing seats in the last election and then needing a three-way coalition,” Mr Harris said.
“It’s up to farmers here. It’s not up to me. I have one vote like everybody else.”
Speaking to IFA members, Fine Gael’s Martin Heydon reiterated Mr Harris’ comments, saying that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael did not have enough seats in 2020 and there was a need for a third party.
“The reason the two main parties didn’t have enough numbers was because of the number of independents that were elected the length and breadth of the country,” Mr Heydon said.
Mr Heydon referred to the election of Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly to Europe, saying that he ended up joining the same group as Fianna Fáil.