Decriminalizing Drugs or Ignoring the Crisis

Cork News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jun 27, 2026 · 1m

A major Oireachtas report calls for decriminalizing personal drug possession and shifting to a health-led approach, but sparks controversy when Tánaiste Simon Harris and Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan imply “middle Ireland” isn’t hit hard by drug issues — a claim critics call classist. Committee chair Gary Gannon fires back, stressing that criminal records mostly go to those struggling with addiction, not casual users, and that decriminalization would protect the most vulnerable while letting law enforcement focus on gangs targeting kids and driving harm. Harris’s team deflects by pointing…