In December 2022, the Joint Committee on Justice published Report on an examination of the present approach to sanctions for possession of certain amounts of drugs for personal use.1 The report makes a set of wide-reaching recommendations on how the committee thinks Ireland’s approach to people who use drugs should change. It includes a recommendation for the decriminalisation of the possession of drugs for personal use.

Joint Committee on Justice

The Joint Committee on Justice is described as shadowing the Department of Justice and considers policy ‘in the fields of justice, security and the rule of law to ensure that Irish society is safe, secure, just, open-minded and impartial’.2 The committee comprises Dáil Deputies and Senators of the Oireachtas from across all political parties and independents. It is chaired by James Lawless TD of Fianna Fáil and its members include Labour Party TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Independent Senator Lynn Ruane, both of whom are long-standing contributors to the national discussion on drug issues. The aim of the committee is to have meaningful input into key legislation and policy areas. It should be noted that the committee’s findings and recommendations do not necessarily reflect those of the Minister for Justice or the Department of Justice.

Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for death and disability and there is a need for evidence-based policy measures to tackle excess alcohol consumption and related harms. A 2023 study, led by University College Cork (UCC), examined attitudes towards alcohol control measures among the general public in Ireland in the context of significant reforms undertaken in the Irish alcohol policymaking landscape.1

In this research, conducted by Dr Susan Calnan and Dr Seán Millar of the UCC School of Public Health and Dr Deirdre Mongan of the Health Research Board, a representative household survey was undertaken in three regions of Cork and Kerry. A total of 1,069 participants took part. Descriptive and univariate analyses were used to examine factors associated with support for alcohol control policy measures.