Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join the Deputy in extending my condolences to the family and friends of the man who died in those tragic circumstances. It is Government policy to bring in supervised injection centres. We have plans to do so at Merchant's Quay. The Deputy knows the difficulties and complications that have arisen around this but we certainly have not given up on it. The policy remains an objective. I absolutely agree that we need to continue to invest more in drug treatment centres and drug treatment beds. It is money very well spent. The fact we can rescue people from addiction makes a huge difference not only for them but for their families and the communities around them. If we do not do so, the costs we bear in terms of the criminal justice system, emergency departments and homeless services are enormous. The benefits of the investment phenomenally outweigh the costs. The Deputy can be confident that we will continue to invest in this area.

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