Louth TD says ‘War on Drugs’ Is lost without new health-led approach

The ‘war on drugs’ had been lost, Dundalk TD Ruairí Ó Murchú has told the Dáil.

The Sinn Féin deputy was speaking during a debate about the Proceeds of Crime Bill and said the war on drugs had been lost, “in the traditional sense in which it is understood.”

He said that while there had been work done by the Criminal Assets Bureau and the public liked seeing ‘criminals pay’, there needs to be a “trauma-informed and health-led policy and to ensure we look after those who are suffering from addiction.”

Work is also needed to “do everything we can to divert young people who may fall into criminality and deal with disadvantaged communities which feel this most” and spoke of the cocaine epidemic that “permeates every socioeconomic group but we also know the real harm and drug debt intimidation it brings.”

Deputy Ó Murchú said working-class areas are impacted most and family supports and diversion programmes are needed.

He said: “We need the likes of specialist health nurses who will engage with families. I believe that is planned but we need to see it happen. We need to give supports to families and wider communities that require it. In some cases, we are dealing with the outworkings of poverty.”

And he highlighted how he co-sponsored, with Deputy Mark Ward the Proceeds of Crime (Investment in Disadvantaged Communities) (Amendment) Bill. 

He said: “We need money to be taken from these people who have their heel on the neck of many in our communities and returned to organisations. There will never be enough money in that. 

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“We need to resource everything, including the supports required, addiction services and, beyond that, adequate policing to deal with the bad examples. We can walk into many estates and point out houses of people who, for a considerable period of time, have been making money off the backs of their neighbours, and none of it is good enough. 

“At this stage, it is not just off the backs of their neighbours. It is chasing after grandparents for drug debt money. We need a wider discussion on dealing with drug crime and its impact on communities.”