Gardaí face ‘impossible situation’

Senior gardai have privately told drugs minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin they face an “impossible situation” battling open drug use on the streets and that current approaches “aren’t working”.

The Labour minister of state is fast-tracking proposals to bring to senior ministers on the possible establishment of medical supervised injecting centres.

Mr Ó Ríordáin has begun examining draft legislation, which sets out how the current law banning drug possession could be amended to legally allow such a facility.