THE call went out from Council for a medically supervised injection centre to be trialled in Limerick City due to the high number of people in addiction on the streets.
Social Democrats councillor Shane Hickey-O’Mara proposed at November’s Metropolitan District meeting that an injection centre be opened in the city akin to the one in Dublin.
He believes it would also help with the proliferation of needles and other drug detritus throughout the city with the express aim of providing a safe, non-judgmental place for those in addiction to inject using sterile equipment under the supervision of a medical professional.
“As politicians who decide where resources are allocated, we can support person-centered change through initiatives like that which has been opened in Dublin – a medically supervised injection centre where people in addiction can inject substances using sterile equipment under the supervision of a medical professional,” Cllr Hickey-O’Mara told Council members.
The Soc Dems councillor said that “leaving the person-centered argument aside for a moment, the issue of drug detritus on our streets and communities is routinely brought up in this room”.
“Putting all of our collective weight behind this call to the Minister will actively help to make our streets safer for residents, including those in addiction. It will also help to prevent those residents in addiction who fear arrest, or who are experiencing shame as a result of dehumanising treatment they experience, from moving out of the city, which can lead to dangerous drug detritus being found in the suburbs, near schools, playgrounds, and parks.
“When you shame people in addiction you push them to hide, when you do that it can lead, as many of us have seen in our communities, to needles being discarded in green spaces or thrown into rivers.”
The City North representative took the view that drug users are more likely to engage with addiction and health services when attending supervised facilities.
He called for a health-led, compassionate response to the city’s drugs problem, one that prioritises the safety and wellbeing of those in addiction as well as that of the general population.
“Medically supervised injection centres save lives, so I ask everyone, particularly those on the government side of the chamber, to pick up the phone to Minister Carroll MacNeill and make the case for Limerick,” he pleaded.
Seconding the motion, Cllr Elisa O’Donovan (SD) said that Limerick-based Ana Liffey Drug Project provided 3,500 needles and syringes through its harm reduction interventions last year alone.
“Drug use in public spaces now is a matter of significant concern and something that comes up on a daily basis. To me, living in the city centre, there is concern and public injecting is happening every day in Limerick City. This is a risk for the individual drug user and for the general public and we cannot ignore that,” Cllr O’Donovan insisted.
Independent councillor Maria Donoghue was of the opinion that the HSE needed to provide more effective ways of breaking the cycle of addiction because of the huge numbers of drug users on the streets.
“There doesn’t seem to be any change in their circumstances and it’s really awful to see people’s lives basically caught up in addiction. We can do all the public realm works we want. We can do all of these tidying up projects but while addiction is such a strong culture in our city, people will not come in, no matter how beautiful it may be,” she said.