Medically supervised injection facility plans
A MOTION centered on exploring options for a medically-supervised injection facility for intravenous drug users in the county was unanimously passed by councillors at this week’s council meeting.
The motion was tabled by Independent councillor and drug project manager Mick Duff at Monday’s monthly meeting of South Dublin County Council.
The motion called on South Dublin County Council to engage with the Tallaght and Clondalkin Drugs and Alcohol Task Forces, the HSE Addiction Services and community drug treatment projects to explore setting up an injection facility in the county.
Reacting to the response the motion received, Cllr Duff told The Echo: “I was very pleased that motion was so well received. The vote was unanimous and I was delighted my fellow councillors supported it.
“[The purpose of the motion] is about starting the conversation, so I’m hoping now that I can work closely with the likes of the Community Department to speak to the relevant stakeholders.
“We can have that conversation with them, and see where we can go from here, up to looking at the planning process.”
However, facilities of this nature can be a point of concern among communities. In the inner city, Merchant’s Quay previously received planning permission for an injection centre at their premises in the Liberties.
This decision was overturned last July, after a local primary school challenged An Bord Pleanála’s decision to grant permission, as they had concerns about the facility being in close proximity to the school.
“It’s not about imposing, it’s about providing the best possible service to people,” explained Cllr Duff. “It’s about saving lives and respecting the individual.
“People in drug addiction are citizens of the county, and we need to have the best service facilities to keep them alive and ensure their health.”
While there are no medically-supervised injection centres in Ireland, these facilities are available in Australia – where Cllr Duff visited one of the centres – and Canada.
In Vancouver, a medically-supervised injection clinic led to a 35 per cent reduction in fatal overdoses in surrounding areas, an increase in people receiving addiction treatment, and a decrease in drug-related public order issues.
Grace Hill, coordinator of the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force (TDATF) said that, while she welcomes the debate about a medically-supervised injection centre, she stressed that emphasis should be put on funding existing services as an injecting centre isn’t “the only answer”.
“We’re happy to debate it, but nowhere in our own research has an injecting centre come up,” said Ms Hill.
“It’s not the only answer, but as a task force, we’re prepared to discuss it.
“I think we’ve a huge amount of addiction services and really good harm-reduction services.
“Do we need more? Absolutely, but I’d rather see more investment in the services we do have than in this one.”
The plans are still at an early stage, with Cllr Duff saying it’s at a stage akin to a consultation, and he added that plans for an injecting clinic shouldn’t take away from existing services.
“The investment is already there, the government already committed to the centre in the city centre,” he said.
“It wouldn’t conflict with any current or future funding lines that the task forces have.”
If successful, Cllr Duff previously said the facility would likely be located in either Tallaght or Clondalkin as that’s where the local drugs task forces are based, but the plans would have to go through the planning process first.
