The imminent opening of a supervised injection centre at Merchants Quay in Dublin must mark the start of a new chapter in how we treat drug addiction in Ireland, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon.<\/p>\n
Deputy Gannon, who represents Dublin Central, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cI have long advocated for a health-led, compassionate response to our capital\u2019s drug problem \u2013 one that prioritises the safety and wellbeing of those suffering from addiction.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new injecting facility at Merchants Quay, due to open in the coming days, will provide a clean, safe environment for intravenous drug users under the supervision of medical professionals.<\/p>\n
\u201cInternational evidence shows that this approach leads to less public injecting on our streets and, more importantly, reduced deaths from overdoses and infectious diseases. Crucially, drug users are also more likely to engage with addiction, counselling and health services when attending supervised facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cSolely depending on a policing solution to drugs often leads to the displacement of the problem to other parts of the city and the criminalisation of those living in poverty.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to pay tribute to Merchants Quay Ireland for finally delivering this groundbreaking facility, despite almost a decade of legal and planning logjams.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the injection centre will initially operate as an 18-month pilot project, I am optimistic that any concerns previously expressed by the local community can be assuaged through ongoing engagement with Merchants Quay Ireland and the HSE.\u201d<\/p>\n
The opening of the new facility was also welcomed by Social Democrats TD for Dublin South-Central, Jen Cummins.<\/p>\n
Deputy Cummins said:<\/p>\n
“The issue of drug use is one that regularly comes up at local safety forums and residents’ association meetings. I am hopeful that this pilot project will prove to be a success and will mutally benefit both the local community and service users at Merchants Quay.”<\/p>\n
December 17, 2024<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The imminent opening of a supervised injection centre at Merchants Quay in Dublin must mark the start of a new chapter in how we treat drug addiction in Ireland, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon. Deputy Gannon, who represents Dublin Central, said: \u201cI have long advocated for a health-led, compassionate response to our capital\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[656,495,316,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drug-addiction","category-dublin-city-centre","category-gary-gannon","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n