Debate contribution: Sentencing: Drug Dealing

Debate contribution by Ms Emma Sheerin on 21 April 2026.

MLA

Ms Emma Sheerin

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

21 April 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Sentencing: Drug Dealing

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5498034

Read the official Assembly record

Text

In the previous debate, I commented that the particular blight on communities that we were discussing was concentrated in urban areas. The issue of substance misuse and abuse, addiction and the dealing of illegal drugs is often perceived as an urban issue, but it hides in plain sight. It is definitely an issue across all our constituencies and areas. At the outset, I commend Pauline Duddy for her work on the issue. I have not met Pauline personally, but my colleague Ciara Ferguson relayed to me at the end of last week the sheer volume of work that Pauline has done in honour of her daughter, Jasmin. Pauline, it is commendable that you have managed to turn that pain into something that is positive for other people and that you are trying to help other young people in Jasmin's situation, so that other families do not have to suffer what you suffered. You should be highly commended for that. The issue of substance abuse and drug and alcohol addiction in our society is multifaceted. Drug dealers are able to exist and profit from the suffering and misery of others oftentimes because there is a veil of secrecy around them. Shame and stigma exist when we talk about illegal drugs. I am talking from the perspective of someone from a rural area, where people often do not want to acknowledge that the problem exists. With the best will in the world, whilst they might not want to face that fact head-on, all that leads to is more suffering and pain in our communities, because, unless we challenge it, we will not deal with it. I agree with many of the remarks that were made by the proposer of the motion and the proposer of the amendment about the need to deal with those disgusting individuals head-on. We have situations across the North where those people masquerade as some sort of political actors and hide behind the cloaks of paramilitary organisations. They are criminals; that is what they are. They are gangsters, and they control too many of our communities. We need to put a stop to that.

There is a massive piece of work here. A cross-departmental, multi-agency approach is required. We need to see it as a priority that victims, young people in particular, who are vulnerable to drug abuse and who get involved in those situations without an understanding of the implications and the danger to their lives, are not attacked or criminalised. We need to criminalise and punish those who are responsible: the dealers.

426 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:26 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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