Drug injection centres will be considered for Cork and Limerick if pilot programme a success

Assistant secretary at the Department of Health Siobhán McCardle told the Oireachtas drugs committee the benefits from such centres abroad were known and they were an 'important tool' in drug harm reduction. File picture: Chris Young/PA Wire

Supervised drug injecting rooms for Cork and Limerick will be considered if the pilot in Dublin proves to be working well, the Department of Health has said.

Assistant secretary Siobhán McCardle told the Oireachtas drugs committee the benefits from such centres abroad were known and they were an “important tool” in drug harm reduction.

She said the HSE was conducting a review after six months of the opening of the medically supervised injecting centre in Dublin and a final review after 18 months.

Asked by Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould if the department would consider such a centre in Cork and Limerick cities, Ms McCardle said if the reviews showed the facility “works well” and if there is the same need, then “absolutely, it will be considered”.

HSE addiction lead Professor Eamon Keenan said the Dublin facility should be open by the end of the year.

He said the sixth-month review would feed into the application to extend the service beyond the planning permission period of 18 months.