Supervised injection facility 'drastically needed' for Cork after suspected overdoses

Colm Kelleher said the city has been talking for years about the need for a permanent supervised injection facility, but a mobile facility could be up and running within months

The Lisbon system includes a mobile unit — a converted Mercedes Vito van staffed by a trained paramedic, a driver, and a security worker. A similar unit here could be kitted out for between €100,000 and €150,000, Mr Kelleher said. File Picture: PA

A mobile supervised injection facility (Sif) is needed in Cork urgently to help save lives, a former lord mayor has said in the wake of the deaths of two young men.

Fianna Fáil councillor Colm Kelleher was part of a multi-agency delegation which visited Lisbon, Portugal, in 2023 to view the city’s medically supervised drug injection system.

He spoke out on Monday following the suspected drugs-related deaths of two young men within hours of each other on the streets of Cork City last Friday.

Shane (Sully) O’Sullivan, a father of three originally from Togher, was found dead in a laneway off Kyrl’s Quay on Friday afternoon. This was just a few hours after Shane Grimes, who was known to pals as Alf, was found dead in a portaloo in Fitzgerald’s Park.

While the results of toxicology tests are awaited, it’s believed both men died from suspected overdoses.

Mr Kelleher said the city has been talking for years about the need for a permanent supervised injection facility, but a mobile facility could be up and running within months.

The programme for Government commits to “explore the establishment of mobile medically supervised injecting facilities in areas of need”.

“It is something that’s drastically needed in the city,” Mr Kelleher told 96FM.

We are at the coal-face here, and we are putting out the fire with water balloons. That’s effectively what we are doing

“Time and time again, it takes something like this to bring the issue back into the public domain. The finger needs to be pulled out on this issue now.” 

Drug users told the radio show that one of the young men who died on Friday had been "crying out for help". One man also claimed that it’s easier to get heroin than a bar of chocolate.

HSE monitoring

The Lisbon system includes a mobile unit — a converted Mercedes Vito van staffed by a trained paramedic, a driver, and a security worker.

A similar unit here could be kitted out for between €100,000 and €150,000, Mr Kelleher said.

The HSE said it has no information to indicate any concerns about risky batches circulating in the Cork heroin market, but is monitoring the situation with local stakeholders.

Meanwhile, Mr O’Sullivan will be buried in St Finbarr’s Cemetery on Wednesday. His family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Cork Simon or to the Street Angels volunteer group that works with the homeless in the city.