Drug injection centre needed for Cork city, policing committee hears 

It comes after crime statistics for the Cork City garda division show a rise in drug offences in the first eight months of the year

Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer said he is concerned that the state of the city's public realm, combined with dereliction and grottiness in some areas, has led to the “creeping in” of anti-social behaviour.

There have been direct appeals to Cork’s Oireachtas members to help secure a medically supervised drug-injecting facility in the city, with a warning that lives are depending on it.

The appeals were made by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Colm Kelleher, and the chief executive of Cork City Council, Ann Doherty, during a meeting of the Cork City Joint Policing Committee (JPC).

It followed a briefing from Chief Superintendent Barry McPolin on crime statistics for the Cork City garda division for the first eight months of the year which shows crime rates in various categories on a slow upward trend towards pre-Covid levels.

While most of the headline category rates are down for the period, a breakdown of the sub-categories shows that:

• Theft or unauthorised taking of a vehicle is up 6%, in the first eight months of the year, compared to the same period last year;
• Harassment and stalking threats are up 82%, from 11 to 20;
• Menacing phone calls are up 50% from 26 to 39;
• Sexual assault (not aggravated) is up 25%, from 52 to 65;
• Public order offences are up 4%, from 676 to 705;
• Possession of drugs for sale or supply is up 13%, from 194 to 224;
• Possession of drugs for personal use is up 25%, from 767 to 958;
• Traffic collision, material damage only, is up 3%, from 1518 to 1561 
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is up 6%, from 175 to 186;

Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer said he is concerned that the state of the city's public realm, combined with dereliction and grottiness in some areas, has led to the “creeping in” of anti-social behaviour.

“I have genuine concerns about the inner city area. We should have a special meeting to look at how we can tackle the city centre island,” he said.

Chief Supt McPolin said a lot of those engaged in anti-social behaviour are “people on the wrong side of life” who require a multi-agency response.

He also said senior garda management is focused on maintaining a high-visibility garda presence on the beat.

“But if we are dealing with other duties, for example making an arrest or taking a statement, that can take certain members off the streets. And just because you don’t see a guard on the street, doesn't mean there isn’t one nearby," he said.

Ms Doherty said a range of policies are being finalised at the moment, including ‘housing for all’ and the ‘greening and activation of city streets’ which she said, combined, will help “change the dial” on the city

But she said the securing of a supervised injection centre would support those with addiction issues. She said previous drugs ministers have been told that such a facility could work successfully in Cork, but that they were told Cork would have to wait until such a facility was up and running in Dublin.

Efforts to establish one in the capital have so far proven unsuccessful. She appealed to Oireachtas members attending the JPC to work to secure such a facility for Cork.

Lord Mayor Colm Kelleher, who told the Irish Examiner in July of his brother’s recovery from heroin addiction, said: “I am appealing to Oireachtas members to keep this on their radar. It can be implemented easily and successfully in Cork. Peoples’ lives are depending on it."