A drug project has welcomed a statement from a government TD calling for supervised centres where people can inject drugs.
Fine Gael’s Catherine Byrne said medically supervised injection centres would provide a “legal, safe and sanitised environment” for drug users.
The Dublin South Central TD said such centres would “take the problem off the streets” and away from the public, who, she said, should not have to see people injecting drugs.
Ms Byrne said the facility would complement the work of the new Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, which has amalgamated the Garda National Drugs Unit and the Organised Crime Unit.
She said the bureau, with some 111 detectives attached to it, would help reduce drug related crime and target gangs operating both within and outside the country.
“It is also crucial that any crime prevention measures are complemented by drug treatment rehabilitation programmes for those who wish to get away from addiction and rebuild their lives.”
Ms Byrne supported moves by Ana Liffey Drug Project to try and set up a supervised injecting centre.
“I believe a medically-supervised injection centre in Dublin could complement the work of this new unit by providing a legal, safe and sanitised environment for drug users to inject.”
The project, which operates in Dublin, the midlands and the midwest, backed Ms Byrne’s intervention.
“We really welcome her statement, and she’s right in what she says,” said director Tony Duffin. “Medically-supervised injecting centres can’t work in isolation. These must be part of a wider system and must work hand-in-hand with gardaí.”
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 07/04/15
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