Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Bill appears to be counter-intuitive and perhaps my colleagues see it that way in that it appears to be encouraging drug misuse but, in fact, it has the opposite intention. The intent of the Bill is not in any way to condone intravenous drug abuse or to encourage illegal activity. Its intent is to reduce health risk for intravenous drug abusers. Such drug abuse is very high risk behaviour and this is an attempt to reduce the risk. It is not intended to encourage them to use intravenous drugs in any way. This country already has a needle exchange programme and it is accepted that it has reduced the incidence of intravenous infections such as hepatitis C, HIV and septicaemia. It certainly has reduced the number of deaths related to intravenous drug abuse. If it is accepted that one would give somebody a clean needle to inject, it is a natural progression to move on to giving them a facility where they can inject safely and be supervised. That is the intention of the Bill.

Fatal overdose in intravenous users is very frequent. When one combines intravenous drug abuse with methadone and benzodiazepine use, as well as other illegal drugs, one compounds the effects and one is more likely to have an overdose and a fatal outcome. The provision of an injecting site is to prevent that, which is the primary objective of the Bill. In addition, international experience shows that supervised injection sites reduce the incidence of public order offences and anti-social behaviour and do not increase drug related crime. They do not increase the incidence of intravenous drug abuse. The centre is targeted at a specific, highly vulnerable group that engages in high risk activity. In that regard, it is a positive proposal.

Injection centres are safe zones for drug abusers. Unfortunately, there have been overdoses but there has not been a fatality in supervised sites for intravenous drug injecting. That is to be welcomed. They reduce the incidence of fatal overdose because people are supervised for a certain period of time after they have injected, which is the time when a fatal overdose is most likely to occur. Medication can be administered to them, which I will mention later. There is international experience with supervised injection sites. There are more than 90 such sites throughout the world and they have been tried and tested. This approach is not new, therefore, and it has been found to be safe and effective.

We must remember that intravenous drug abusers are a very vulnerable group. Many are homeless and have multiple health problems such as mental health issues, intravenous drug abuse issues and physical illness related to their intravenous drug abuse. They are vulnerable and need to be supported. We must not dehumanise drug users. We must treat them humanely. They are members of our society and if they are not given every support, they will die on our streets. There have been 5,000 drug related deaths in the past ten years in Ireland, which is an unbelievable figure. It is 500 per year. Of them, 200 die on our streets from intravenous drug overdose, which is one on every second day. The introduction of this injection site will address that and, hopefully, will save many lives.

Supervised injecting sites will also offer supports to intravenous drug abusers. It is not simply bringing them into a room where they can inject safely. They will be offered medical, dental and psychological services. There will be detoxification and rehabilitation programmes. They will have social services and social support and they will be offered accommodation. This group of people should be at top of the list for housing. We must get these people off the streets and then wrap services around them. There is no point in shoving them away or not giving them support.

10 o’clock

If we do that, they are going to die on our streets. This is about offering harm reduction and integrating with other services. That is what the health service should be about - integrating and helping the most vulnerable.

This is not only a Dublin issue. It is an issue in every city and town in Ireland, in Galway, Limerick, Cork, Ennis and probably in Clonmel and Killarney too.

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