Drug and homelessness services around Dublin have welcomed a new initiative that could see syringe bins installed across the city.
It's hoped that several public 'sharps bins' could be in place by the end of the year, as part of a move by Dublin City Council.
Council officials confirmed that two bins have been in place since January, and believe the outdoor bins are the only ones of their kind in Britain and Ireland.
One of the bins has reportedly collected 2kg of drug material since its installation, reducing the amount of discarded drug paraphernalia in the area by 20pc.
Pat Doyle, CEO of the Peter McVerry Trust, said he "absolutely welcomed" the plans, saying they reduced health and safety risks for both the general public and drug users.
"It also highlights how big the addiction issue is in this country," he said.
"The most distressed calls we get from the public are about seeing someone injecting on the street."
He also called the introduction of syringe bins "the first step" in addressing addiction in the city.
"The second step is introducing safe injection centres," he added. "If we were in other countries, we would have safe places to shoot up and safe places to dispose of the needles."
Source: Jane O'Faherty, The Herald, 18/04/16
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