Oireachtas committee pushes to decriminalise heroin and cocaine for personal use

All drugs, including heroin and cocaine, should be decriminalised for personal use, Ireland’s Joint Committee on Drugs Use has said.

In its final report, the group of nine TDs and five Senators made a total of 161 recommendations, which include drug consumption sites, as well as the delivery of ‘mobile’ facilities, where users can take illegal drugs without fear of arrest.

However, it did admit that some other jurisdictions have “reported an increase in drug consumption in public areas” following decriminalisation.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin reported that the Government will give the report “very serious consideration”, but noted that decriminalisation “does not guarantee consumption goes down”. The Government’s current strategy aims to “divert those found in possession of drugs for personal use to health services”, which does not go as far as the recommendations.

Reality

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín warned that decriminalisation would “lead to personal drug use becoming socially acceptable.”

“There is already a very permissive attitude towards cannabis in particular, as anyone who walks through our cities knows. It’s everywhere, and it’s awful. From other cities’ experience, that gets much worse.”

He also debunked the “spurious” claim that decriminalisation increases the number of addicts seeking treatment.

“It hasn’t worked in a number of countries such as Canada and Portugal, where it was a failure. Instead it led to open air drug markets and a huge increase in public use. That’s the reality of it.”

‘Normalising drug use’

Deputy Ken O’Flynn of Independent Ireland refused to endorse suggestions that tell young people that “drugs are an acceptable part of everyday life on our streets”.

He explained: “Nobody disputes that addiction needs a health response. But health-led and consequence-free are not the same thing. Cocaine, cannabis and other so-called gateway drugs do real and lasting damage.

“Before this Committee asks the State to step back from enforcement, I want to see the basics in place. Where is the national addiction treatment capacity plan? Where are the residential treatment beds?”

Ketamine

In 2025, the number of people charged for possession of illegal drugs hit a five-year high.

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan revealed that there were 8,287 offences for drug possession in 2025, more than eleven per cent higher than 2024.

In addition, separate figures showed that ketamine-related admissions for treatment have almost tripled in three years.

Nicki Killeen, a Project Manager on Emerging Drug Trend Programmes in the Health Service Executive, said: “What we’re seeing is probably the largest and most sustained increase in ketamine use.”