Safe Injection Centre or State Sponsored Drug Den? Episode 740

Niall takes your calls on the controversial decision by An Coimisiún Pleanála to grant permanent planning permission for Ireland’s first medically supervised drug injection facility at Merchant’s Quay in Dublin.

The centre, which first opened in December 2024 under a temporary licence, allows drug users to inject substances obtained elsewhere using sterile equipment under medical supervision. According to reports submitted as part of the planning process, more than 10,700 visits were made to the facility in just ten months, with staff responding to 179 non-fatal overdoses, many requiring oxygen or naloxone treatment.

Supporters say the facility is saving lives, reducing public drug use, cutting down on discarded needles, and easing pressure on emergency services. Critics argue the State is normalising illegal drug use and question whether communities should be expected to accept injection centres in residential areas, especially near schools and local businesses.

At the time the facility was proposed, there were fierce objections from local residents and business owners who feared anti-social behaviour and damage to the area. Others argue we have already lost the war on drugs and that supervised injecting is simply a realistic form of harm reduction.

But where do you stand?
Would you want a medically supervised injection centre in your own area?
Are these facilities compassionate healthcare, or are we sending the wrong message about drug use?
And as more centres are expected to open around the country, is this the future of addiction policy in Ireland?

Niall hears from callers on both sides of one of the most divisive social issues facing Ireland today.