Citizen’s Assembly needed on drugs industry, says Deputy McAuliffe

Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin North West, Paul McAuliffe, has called for a Citizen’s Assembly on drugs to be established.

Deputy McAuliffe, who campaigned on the back of delivering an assembly on the matter, said: “Tackling this issue has been a key priority of mine since I first got involved in politics and it was one which Fianna Fáil has been spearheading since we re-entered Government in 2020.

“The areas I represent, alongside countless other communities in the state, lives with the scourge of the drugs industry.

“My community see the drugs industry in the physical evidence of the people who are impacted by it every day. The drugs industry is far more harmful than the illegal substances they peddle.

“This is an issue that has been with our communities for decades but that does not mean that we should be resigned to it continuing.

“Establishing a Citizen’s Assembly and examining the current laws on illegal substances would be an important step forward.

“It is clear that legal changes are needed to tackle this industry and a Citizen’s Assembly is crucial for ensuring that the process is thorough.”