The Government is seeking the views of the public on the possession of illegal drugs for personal use.

Currently, those found in possession of illegal drugs are subject to criminal penalty, however this consultation is seeking the views of the public on the effectiveness of this law, and possible alternatives to it.

The Government has established a working group to examine other possible approaches and that group is now looking for the public's opinions on this topic.

The group was established under the new drug strategy, ‘Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery'. It will make recommendations to the Ministers for Health and Justice within 12 months and the opinions gathered as part of this public consultation will be included in these recommendations.

Commenting on the public consultation, the Minister for Health Promotion and the National Drug Strategy, Catherine Byrne, said that she is ‘very conscious that a criminal conviction for drug possession can have a long-term negative effect on a person's ability to work and travel'.

"It can stigmatise a young person and prevent them from achieving their potential into the future. I encourage anybody with an interest in this issue to participate in the consultation. I am especially anxious to hear the views of young people and families who may be impacted by the current legislation," she commented.

Also commenting on the consultation, the Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, insisted that an effective criminal justice system ‘is one which operates in the best interest of society as a whole'.

"I am keen to explore measures which would prevent situations where people, particularly young people, could descend into a life of offending and re-offending. I urge people to respond to this public consultation," he said.

The chairperson of the working group, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, added that drug use is ‘a societal issue which affects everybody'.

"Therefore, it is very important that all members of society voice their opinions and concerns about this issue through the online consultation. Your views will inform the deliberations of the group."

The confidential survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. It is open until June 30, 2018, and can be accessed here