DUBLIN—The Ireland government is establishing a new “Citizens’ Assembly” to develop and debate recommendations aimed at reducing illicit drug trafficking, use, and impacts.
The government is formed by the public assembly to make strong recommendations on reducing drug use and curbing supply. Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton is expected to present a resolution in both houses of Parliament today.
The government intends to use the Citizens Assembly to organise legislation, policy, and activities to achieve the goal of drug prevention. The Citizens Assembly’s recommendations will be considered by a parliamentary committee comprised of TDs and Senators.
Through direct interaction, dialogue, and monitoring with various sectors, the Citizens’ Assembly develops recommendations on drug-related problems and solutions. These will be considered by parliamentary committees.
Who’s in the Assembly?
The Citizens Assembly will have 100 members, 99 of whom will be elected by the public, and an independent chairperson appointed by the Prime Minister. The assembly will meet in April and will report to the government by the end of the year.
Citizens over the age of 18 who live in the country are eligible to participate in the Citizen Assembly. TDs, Senators, Councillors, Members of the European Parliament, and lobbyists do not have membership in the Assembly.
All recommendations will be voted on.
All assembly recommendations must be approved by a vote. If there are equal votes, the chairman’s casting vote will be decisive. Therefore, determining who will be the chairperson of the Citizens Assembly is very important. Clarity is expected to be obtained in the coming days. Simultaneously, it has been suggested that legislating on the Assembly’s recommendations before the general elections will be difficult.
Considerations
The Citizens’ Assembly will be structured with term-off references to reduce the negative effects of illicit drug use on individuals, families, and society.
The Citizen Assembly will also look into all aspects of drug use. The Assembly will look at the prevalence of drugs, people’s attitudes, general trends, and the impact of drug use on individuals, families, and society.
The assembly will specifically interact with drug-addicted youth, adults, and their families and will develop action plans to promote drug addiction rehabilitation and recovery.
The recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly will assess the effectiveness of current anti-drug operations from international, EU, national, and regional perspectives. Special hearings will be held for this purpose as well.
The Assembly will consider strategies for reducing supply, demand, and harm as well as recommendations for improving resilience, health, and well-being. For this, the Assembly will examine international best practises and practical case studies.
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