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The majority of Irish voters are opposed to drugs decriminalisation, the latest Ireland Thinks poll has shown.
In the wake of an Oireachtas Joint Committee recommendation to decriminalise all drugs for personal use, including heroin and cocaine, more than half of voters (57pc) said they were opposed to such a move.
Meanwhile, over one-third (34pc) backed the recommendation, whilst 9 per cent said that they did not know.
The Joint Committee on Drugs Use today published its Final Report at the end of June, in which Members recommend the repeal of Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 in order to fully decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use.
161 recommendations are made in the report across family and community supports; kinship care; intergenerational trauma; addiction, sports and wellbeing; young people; substance use and neurodiversity; women, drug use and addiction; the National Drugs Strategy; nitrous oxide and other inhalants; and legal and policy issues.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín argued that “people will be shocked that heroin and coke would be included in this.”
The TD said that decriminalising drug possession would be a backfire and would lead to personal drug use becoming socially acceptable.
The poll also shows that support for the Labour party has fallen, sparking fears from within the party that it could suffer a similar fate to the Greens in 2024.
Labour has slumped to joint seventh place in the polls with the Greens in the latest Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll.
The Green Party’s representation dropped from 12 seats to just one seat – leader Roderic O’Gorman – in the general election in November 2024, with the party securing just three per cent of the popular vote following the resignation of Eamon Ryan.
Labour now has the same level of support that the Greens had when they lost all but one seat.
It means the party has lost 40 per cent of the vote it had back in 2024, with support falling by 1.7 points. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats have seen an almost tripling in their vote, from 4.8 per cent to 12 per cent.
Other parties were also down on support seen two years ago – Fine Gael is now the most popular party in Ireland, and three points clear of Fianna Fáil, however, its support has also fallen since 2024, but has risen one point to 20 per cent.
Fianna Fáil, on the other hand, are down five per cent on 2024, but support for the party has risen marginally by one point to 17 per cent.
Support for Independents rose one point in July to 11 per cent.
Smaller parties such as Aontú and Independent Ireland continue to pick up votes – with Independent Ireland on 7 per cent (down two points) and Aontú on six per cent (no change).
Labour are on three per cent, the Greens are on three per cent, and People Before Profit are on 2 per cent – showing no change from last month.
Sinn Féin has dropped one point this month to 19 per cent, the poll shows. Support for the Social Democrats remains unchanged at 12 per cent.
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns is Ireland’s most popular leader, with her support dropping one point to 40 per cent. Support for Micheal Martin and Simon Harris has remained largely unchanged from June, on 35 per cent and 33 per cent.
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