Subj: Ire: Young FG supports cannabis legalisation 



Source: The Irish Times



Pubdate: 30 Nov 1998





Young FG supports cannabis legalisation 

By Lorna Siggins, in Galway 



A motion supporting the legalisation and regulation of cannabis

was passed by a slim majority at the Young Fine Gael party

conference in Furbo, Co Galway, at the weekend. Legalisation

of prostitution was also carried by a comfortable majority, and

a policy on abortion was approved. The policy proposals,

which will be put to the party's national conference, include

support for provision of abortion where there is a real and

substantive risk to the long-term health of the mother, including

self-injury. The abortion debate, which was chaired by Fine

Gael MEP, Mrs Mary Banotti, focused on 12 policy

proposals. No motions opposing the option were tabled, but

several were voted down, including support for abortion if

there is a partial risk to the life, as distinct from health of the

mother, including suicide.



Speaking yesterday on the RTE Radio programme, This

Week, the party leader, Mr John Bruton, said he did not agree

with the motion. "I think that if you have abortion in those

circumstances, you effectively have abortion on demand. That

has been the experience in other countries."



The outcome of the vote on cannabis, which took place during

motions to conference, was welcomed by its proposer, Mr

Mike Fitzpatrick, secretary of the Dublin North-East branch of

Young Fine Gael. He argued that classifying cannabis with

other illegal substances like heroine and cocaine was the main

reason that some cannabis users progressed to harder drugs.

Legalisation would remove this psychological link, he said.



Disputing the "gateway" drug theory, Mr Fitzpatrick said

research supported by the World Health Organisation

indicated that alcohol caused greater social problems.

Speaking afterwards Mr Fitzpatrick welcomed the decision

and noted it had taken four party conferences to reach this

stage in the debate.



Other motions carried included improvements in rail transport;

the de-regulation of taxis; the provision of tax relief and

allowances for childcare where one or both parents are

working outside the home, and the establishment of one

national authority with total responsibility for co-ordinating

childcare.



Young Fine Gael also passed motions in support of greater

tolerance towards, and assistance for, asylum seekers and

refugees; the reform of teaching the Irish language in schools;

and privatisation of State-sponsored bodies.