New Drugs Minister could examine option of supervised injection centres- Byrne

“The newly appointed Minister for Drugs could examine the option of medically supervised injection centres”, says Fine Gael TD for Dublin South Central, Catherine Byrne.

“I welcome the appointment of Aodhán O’Ríordáin as Minister of State with Responsibility for Drugs. This is a good move by our Minster for Health Leo Varadkar and something I have been calling for for a long time, as the drugs problem is rapidly worsening, particularly in Dublin.

“Minister O’Ríordáin already serves as Minister for State in the Department of Justice and it makes sense to look at the drugs problem from a cross departmental stance, as both the Departments of Justice and Health have a role here. Unfortunately the scourge of drugs brings problems of crime and antisocial behaviour on our streets along with it.

“I urge the new Minister for Drugs to take a look at this problem in particular and examine the option of introducing a medically supervised injection centre in Dublin. It would provide a legal, safe and sanitised environment for drug users to inject. It takes the problem off the streets and away from the public who really should not have to see people injecting drugs as they go about their daily business.

“Having worked for a long time with communities in Dublin’s South West Inner City, I know all too well the damage inflicted on families by drug addiction. There are many people working to fight their addiction problems and get clean through rehabilitation and therapy. We must support these people in their communities to achieve their goal of a drug free life.

“I wish Minister O’Ríordáin all the very best in his new role. It is a good time to appoint a Minister for Drugs with the recent establishment of a new unit to be called the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. This has resulted from a merger between the Garda National Drug Unit and the Organised Crime Unit, as part of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 and is just one part of the Government’s plan to reduce drug related crime and clean up our streets.”