Personal possession of drugs for one's own use should no longer be handled as a criminal justice issue but through health services, the Social Democrats have said, with justice spokesperson Gary Gannon calling for the Government to act on new recommendations.

Deputy Gannon, who is Chair of the Oireachtas Drugs Committee, said: "The Committee recommends the repeal of section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 in order to fully decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use and introduce a comprehensive health-led approach to the use and misuse of substances.

"This is not a marginal adjustment. It is a recognition that criminalising people for their own drug use has not reduced harm, and that a different approach is both possible and overdue.

"Today's report is the culmination of one of the most extensive examinations of drugs policy ever undertaken in the history of the State. It began with the work of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use, where the public spent months hearing evidence, weighing arguments and reaching conclusions about how Ireland should respond to drug use and addiction, and has led to these recommendations.

"Throughout this process, members of the Committee made a conscious effort to leave party positions at the door and allow the evidence to lead us, resulting in a broad, cross party consensus on the direction that Irish drugs policy should now take. "Over the course of our work, we heard from clinicians, researchers, service providers, community organisations, people with lived experience, family members, youth workers, legal experts and policymakers. We travelled, we listened, we challenged our own assumptions and we engaged deeply with the evidence.

"If we genuinely believe that problematic drug use and addiction represent one of the defining public health challenges of our time, then we have a responsibility to respond accordingly.

"The report also recommends expanding drug treatment courts and supervised consumption facilities nationwide, introducing national drug checking services, and ending short prison sentences for many drug-related offences. There must be adequate investment in drug treatment options if we are to counter the scourge of addiction.

"Addiction is rarely an isolated issue. It is almost always connected to trauma, poverty, exclusion, poor mental health, homelessness and disadvantage. If we are serious about reducing harm, we must be equally serious about addressing those underlying causes.

"Our next challenge is to implement the recommendations of today's report. We have an opportunity now to change the way in which the State approaches drug use and misuse to achieve better outcomes for all."

The report, published on 24 June 2026, follows extensive evidence-gathering, including the work of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use, and outlines a cross-party direction for Irish drugs policy centred on harm reduction and treatment.