The planned new State-funded injecting centre for chronic heroin and cocaine addicts in Dublin’s inner city is to cater for around 60 addicts each day and is to open at 6.30 each morning.
Earlier this year, Merchants Quay Ireland won the tender from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to operate the Medically Supervised Injection Facility (MSIF) and the organisation has now lodged plans for the contentious facility with Dublin City Council.
The centre - which is the first of its kind in Ireland consisting of seven injecting rooms - is to be housed in the basement of Merchant’s Quay existing Riverbank building at 13/14 Merchants Quay, Dublin 8 which is located in close proximity to a local primary school, St Audoen’s National School.
The centre already provides a range of homeless, healthcare and drug services and the centre’s ‘Community Engagement & Liaison Plan’ refers to the proximity of the centre to the school when it states: “We fully appreciate the concerns raised by staff and parents of children at St Audoen’s National School. No one wants children exposed to the sight of drug use and drug litter. We believe that the MSIF can provide an effective response to the concerns raised. Research from abroad have shown a reduction in public injecting and drug litter.”
In the area comprising of the seven injecting booths, sterile injecting equipment will be distributed while resuscitation equipment will be located in this area and the individual injecting will be monitored in order to provide emergency care in case of overdoses or other adverse reactions.
Source: Gordon Deegan, The Irish Examiner, 22/10/18
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