The company planning to open the country’s first supervised injection facility said most of the issues raised in 99 objections “actually highlight the need for the facility”.
Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) said the observations by hotels, bars and tourism services have pointed out current issues in Dublin’s inner city which they said the facility would address.
The current Merchants Quay premises is used for homeless and drugs services, with MQI intending to install the injection facility in a large basement.
No decision on planning permission has yet been made by the council after it requested more information from MQI.
This must be provided by a May 30 deadline.
The council is asking for information on MQI’s operational plan, and for it to show the need for the service and if there is an over-concentration of such services in the vicinity.
It also wants to know about the policing plan.
Many objections focused on the location of the facility being inappropriate.
However, MQI day manager Derek Parker, a psychiatric nurse, said that as part of the tendering process initiated by the HSE, a location in the inner city was needed.
Mr Parker said if it was located on the outskirts of the city, those who could avail of it would not go there.
He said MQI had to make the case to locate it at its premises.
Source: Ryan Nugent, The Irish Examiner, 28/02/19
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