Three-quarters of homeless people attending service have overdosed

A homeless support service in Limerick city is experiencing drug overdose levels far higher than recorded elsewhere, research shows.

Three out of four homeless people attending McGarry House have overdosed — with such incidents happening at a rate of one every two weeks.

A study, the first of its kind in Ireland, said the overdose rate was at the “higher end of the spectrum”, ranging from 48% to 64%.