30 Nov - Representative groups express serious concerns about proposed drug injecting facility in Dublin city
Representative groups express serious concerns about proposed drug injecting facility in Dublin city centre Groups call for full debate and disclosure on the proposal Wednesday 30th November 2016. Three leading representative organisations have called for a full independent debate and public discussion on a government proposal to establish a Supervised Injecting Facility (SIF) for drug users in Dublin City Centre. The call follows a recent announcement by the Department of Health that it plans to open a SIF in the city centre next year in an effort to curb on-street drug injecting and overdose deaths. The legislation to facilitate this measure is being discussed at the Oireachtas Health Committee today (Wednesday). However three groups - the Licensed Vintners Association, the Restaurants Association and the Temple Bar Company - have expressed reservations about the project and indeed the long term effectiveness of such centres on drug use in other cities. In a joint statement the three organisations said the establishment of an SIF in the city centre had serious implications for the people who live and work in the area and it would be irresponsible in the extreme for the authorities to adopt a unilateral approach and to proceed without consulting them fully. “Unfortunately that is what appears to be happening at today’s Oireachtas Health Committee hearing. While several representatives from organisations who favour SIFs have been asked to appear before it no resident representatives, no local business representatives, no tourism representatives and no local councillors have been invited. Why are they being excluded?” “This proposal raises very many concerns. If drug users are free to use drugs on the SIF premises what changes will be required to the Misuse of Drugs Act? What effect will these have on the way drug use is policed right across the city centre?” “For example will people on the way to the SIF be immune from prosecution? How much drugs will addicts be allowed to carry for their own use? What are the views of the Garda Siochana? Have they been consulted? Is this the first step towards decriminalisation? These are just some of the questions our members and people living in the city centre want answers to.” A recent seminar organised by the three groups and the charity, Aisling Group International, heard from drug prevention experts who are opposed to SIFs. The seminar heard that such centres have not led to any reduction in the incidences of public drug use. Marie Byrne founder of the Aisling Group said we can do much better than confine our young people to a future of addiction and facilitation. While the location of the proposed centre has not been disclosed, the three organisations pointed out the problems with establishing it in the city centre. “In other cities these centres have been established in areas with significant historical problem of public drug use, such as Kings Cross in Sydney and not in central business districts. Dublin City Centre is compact by international standards and the decision by different agencies to provide treatment services in the city has created a market for drugs and led to an intensification of drug use in the area. The onset of a drug war between rival drug gangs has now pushed the issue into a crisis.” “It would seem ironic that the Government would now consider using taxpayer’s money to provide a centre for drug addicts to consume illegal drugs which are in a large part funding the very gangs which the state is pursuing. It’s clear this measure hasn’t been fully thought through and we would urge Minister Catherine Byrne to meet with us to hear our concerns” the statement concluded.