Drugs legislation to be amended to allow for injection facility

The Cabinet has agreed to amend the Misuse of Drugs Bill to allow for a pilot scheme for a drug injection facility in Dublin.

The state-run centre will allow those with substance abuse issues to inject heroin under medical supervision in a bid to prevent “death and injury” as a consequence of addiction.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, minister for drugs strategy, has pushed for the introduction of injecting rooms, saying that the injection of drugs in the street is unsafe for drug users and the general public.

He supported the tentative piloting of the scheme, explaining: “That makes sense, to establish if there are any operational issues that need to be teased out.”

He told the Irish Examiner that he was “delighted” by the “round-table support” by the Cabinet.