Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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291. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the proposed supervised injection facilities in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. [62703/22]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The legislation providing for the establishment, licensing and operation of supervised injecting facilities is set out in the Misuse of Drugs (Supervised Injecting Facilities) Act 2017 (No 7 of 2017). The Act refers to the operation of a facility in respect of certain premises.

The Government decision approving the provision of supervised injecting facilities envisages the initial establishment of such a facility in Dublin city centre on a pilot basis. Funding has been provided to the HSE to establish a SIF in Dublin city. The contract to provide this service was awarded to Merchants Quay Ireland in 2018.

In December 2019, An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission to Merchants Quay Ireland for a medically supervised injecting facility. Leave to apply for a Judicial Review of the decision by An Bord Pleanála was granted by the High Court in February 2020.

In November 2021, following a Judicial Review, the planning decision was overturned by the High Court and remitted back to An Bord Pleanála for further consideration. It is not appropriate to comment on or prejudge the outcome of this process.

Following an evaluation of the pilot SIF in Dublin, consideration will be given to extending supervised injecting facilities to other urban areas where there is a demand for such a service.

I am committed to the establishment of a supervised injecting facility in Dublin city, as a harm reduction and life-saving service.