The facility will serve as an important point of contact for those seeking help

Ireland’s first medically supervised injection facility to open this month

17 Dec 2024, 13:58 by Cathal Ryan · Irish Mirror

Ireland’s first medically supervised injection facility will open its doors this month, marking a significant milestone in the country’s health-led approach to drug addiction.

The facility, which is supported by the HSE and Department of Health, is located at the Riverbank Open Access Centre on Merchants Quay in Dublin city centre.

The MSIF will offer a clean, supervised space where individuals can inject pre-obtained drugs, under the care of trained medical professionals.

This facility is designed to reduce the health risks associated with intravenous drug use, including overdose and the transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C.

It will also serve as an important point of contact for those seeking help, by offering referrals to addiction treatment, mental health support, primary healthcare and social services.

This facility is designed to reduce the health risks associated with intravenous drug use

Welcoming the opening of the new facility, Professor Eamon Keenan, HSE National Clinical Lead, Addiction Services, said: “I welcome the opening of the Medically Supervised Injecting Facility (MSIF) at MQI’s Riverbank.

“This is the result of many years of hard work by a variety of stakeholders including the HSE, MQI, Department of Health, An Garda Síochána, Dublin City Council, community groups and service user representative organisations.

“The benefits of MSIFs can be seen in different contexts worldwide, and considering the emergence of new, and more potent synthetic opioids on the Irish heroin market, it is more important than ever to progress such a facility to support people who inject drugs.

“This facility will enhance the harm reduction response for people who inject drugs, in line with ‘Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery’ our national strategy of health-led responses to drug use in Ireland. This could be the first step on the road to recovery for someone presenting to the service.”

The MSIF will also play a key role in addressing the issue of drug-related litter in public spaces and reducing the pressure on emergency services by preventing overdose deaths

The opening of the MSIF aligns with the Irish government’s National Drugs Strategy, ‘Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery’, which seeks to minimise harm from drug use, promote recovery, and address the social determinants of addiction.

This initiative follows years of advocacy from public health experts, addiction specialists, and community organisations, as well as successful models seen in other countries such as Portugal, Luxembourg and Australia.

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