There were more than 300 visits by a total of 108 people to the country’s first Medically Supervised Injecting Facility (MSIF) in its first three weeks of operation.
The pilot facility at Merchants Quay Ireland facility at Riverbank House in Dublin City Centre opened in December 2023.
There were 47 unique visits in its first full week of operation, 88 in the second week, and 106 in the third week.
The majority of people accessing the service (84%) were male, and 16% were female, with the majority aged between 25 and 44. Four in five clients (81%) stated that they accessed the service to use heroin. There have been six overdoses in the service, five of which were managed through the administration of oxygen alone, while only one case involved administration of naloxone.
The MSIF , which has an 18-month licence under the Misuse of Drugs (Supervised Injecting Facilities) Act 2017, provides a dedicated safe place for people who inject drugs, prioritising their health and social needs and supporting them to engage with healthcare services.
The Department said that as well as removing drug use from public spaces and reducing associated litter problems, it ensured that people who injected drugs had access to immediate medical intervention. This minimised the pressure on emergency services including ambulance services and An Garda Síochána, by preventing overdoses or overdose-induced deaths.
CEO of Merchants Quay Ireland Eddie Mullins said, “The early uptake by clients in using the MSIF clearly demonstrates the need for a compassionate, health-led response to addiction. This service is not just about providing a safe, medically supervised space for injecting drugs that saves lives; it offers people who are often marginalised in our society a chance to access vital healthcare and social supports.
“At Merchants Quay, we see firsthand the devasting impact of addiction, so we are committed to delivering services that prioritise dignity, care, and safety.”
The primary purpose of a MSIF is to prevent drug overdose among people who inject drugs. It is a harm reduction measure, in keeping with a health-led response to drug use.
The 2025 HSE National Service Plan has prioritised progressing integrated care pathways and harm-reduction responses, including the operation of the Medically Supervised Injecting Facility.
