Drugs Minister hopeful city will get injection centre by year end

The Drugs Minister Catherine Byrne says she's confident that plans for the Merchant's Quay injection centre will go ahead.

The sites been chosen to run Ireland's first facility but as you just heard Minister Byrne say, it will have to go through the planning process first.

Meanwhile, there are calls for the roll out of the centres to be fast tracked.

It's after the latest European Drug Report shows that Ireland has the fourth highest rate of overdose deaths in Europe.

Of those who died from drugs last year, 79 per cent were men and 21 per cent were women, while the average age was 39.

Tony Geoghegan from Merchants Quay Ireland says there's a high-level of street drug use here due to our homeless problem.

Source: Q102.ie, 07/06/18