The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, and the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan TD, recently announced that the new Health Referral Scheme will go live nationally from 1 September 2026.
The scheme will provide a health-led response for people found in possession of drugs for personal use for the first time. Where An Garda Síochána determines that a person is in possession of drugs for personal use, and meets the eligibility criteria for the scheme, that person will be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for brief intervention and assessment. The scheme is designed to provide early intervention, reduce harm, and support people to access help at the earliest possible point.
The Health Referral Scheme reflects the Government’s commitment to treating drug use as a public health issue. The scheme is in line with the recommendation of the Citizens Assembly on Drug Use for a comprehensive health-led approach, with the emphasis on de-penalising drug use. The recommendations regarding the Health Referral Scheme contained in the final report from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Drugs Use were considered in the implementation of the scheme.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said: “Today is the start of a new approach. I am so grateful for the work of my colleague in the Department of Health, Minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, Minister Jim O’Callaghan and the HSE for their work on this scheme. This scheme offers people a helping hand, lessens stigma and will offer a second chance. We want to reach out and give people, young people in particular, the opportunity to avoid a criminal conviction which can have long lasting consequences for their future work and travel prospects.”
The Health Referral Scheme will be monitored throughout its first year and evaluated to ensure it is meeting its aims and to inform any further development of the scheme.
