The ACJRD 27th Annual Conference on the theme of 'Continuing the Conversation – The Future of Drug Policy in Ireland' took place on 12 June 2024 in the Camden Court Hotel. 

Download Conference Report

About the Conference 

ACJRD's 2024 Annual Conference entitled Continuing the Conversation - The future of Drugs Policy in Ireland aimed to explore the rationale and implementation of Government Policy and the Citizens' Assembly Report recommendations in a multi-disciplinary manner. Invited speakers, some of whom are ACJRD's members and member organisations, presented their endeavours to balance the enforcement of relevant legal sanctions for the supply and use of illegal drugs, with a desire, through a welfare lens, to support non-criminogenic interventions of diversion, dissuasion, desistance and decriminalisation.

In this full day conference, our aim was facilitated by plenary speaker presentations where topics such as policing, intervention by the judiciary, care and after-care for prisoners, international decriminalisation policies, Citizens' Assembly views, integration of drug services with primary care services and the lived experience of drug users will be explored.

Our annual conference was aimed at those working in government agencies and in the community, including policymakers, practitioners, academics, civil society and a wide range of disciplines that focus on the victims and perpetrators of crime either within or tangential to the Criminal Justice System.

Members got a discounted registration fee and non-members of ACJRD were welcome to attend this event. 

Delegates were given the opportunity to attend one of three Thematic Sessions offered, each of which featured three different presentations.

The Chatham House Rule:

To encourage openness and the sharing of information, ACJRD invokes the Chatham House Rule at all events.

*The Chatham House Rule reads as follows: "When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed".

See: https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/chatham-house-rule

• Government Policy on Drug Use in Ireland is encapsulated in Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, A health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017-2025 which is accessible at Drugs and Alcohol Policy and Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery 2017-2025.
• The recent Citizens' Assembly focused on Drugs Use in Ireland resulted in the output of in 36 recommendations on 'how best to balance the objectives of decriminalisation, diversion and dissuasion' as outlined in their subsequent report was launched in January of this year. See the Report of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use (citizensassembly.ie).

Programme: The ACJRD 27th Annual Conference 2024

A PDF of the Conference Programme is available to download here.

The Annual Conference Address was made by Minister Colm Burke, Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy.

Plenary speakers included: 

• Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, An Garda Siochana
• Judge Patricia McNamara, The Drug Treatment Court
• Dr. Emma Regan, Irish Prison Service
• Captain Filipe Correia Paulino, Information & Criminal Investigation Section, Portugal
• Prof. David Nutt, Imperial College London
• Kevin Byrne, Drug Related Intimidation & Violence Engagement (DRIVE)
• Paul Reid, Chairperson of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use

Plenary presentations included Balancing Policing of Organised Crime & Drug Decriminalisation Policies; The Drug Treatment Court, a Community Court in Action; A Comprehensive Care Model - Prisoner Rehabilitation & Reintegration; An International Perspective on the Decriminalisation of Drugs - the Portuguese Experience; The 5 Major Flaws in Current Drugs Policies – and How to Rectify Them; Recommendations to Balance Decriminalisation, Diversion & Dissuasion; Policing and Drug Offences; Addiction, Drug Use, Crime & Recovery.

In parallel, breakout thematic sessions Supports Services for Drug Addiction - the Status Quo; Prevention - Policies & Practice and Moving Towards Decriminalisation & Desistance, with three sub-topics in each session, presented information, research and shared lived experience, with generous time allocated for conference attendees to engage with the speakers.

Confirmed thematic session speakers included: 

• Louise Mahoney, Red Door Project
• Eddie Mullins, Merchants Quay Ireland
• Dr Johnny Connolly, Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice (REPPP)
• Dr Richard Healy, Service Users Rights in Action (SURIA)
• Rachel Fayne, Davina Project (SAOL Project)
• Orla Brennan, Wheatfield Prison
• Prof. Andrew Percy, Queen's University Belfast
• Dr Suzi Lyons, Health Research Board

Event details and Booking information

Date: Wednesday, 12th June 2024
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm (registration 9am)
Location: Camden Court Hotel, Camden Street, Dublin D02 W086

• CPD Points: Attendance at the event may qualify for CPD points. Qualification is determined by the points’ issuer. ACJRD is happy to provide certificates of attendance on request. For GDPR purposes, attendance lists will be deleted after 12 months and it will no longer be possible to provide certificates of attendance after that. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in advance if you will require a certificate of attendance.
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About the ACJRD Annual Conferences

ACJRD holds their annual conference in June each year. Details and reports from past ACJRD Annual Conferences can be found here on the ACJRD website.