THE COUNTRY’S FIRST medically supervised injection facility provided almost 10,000 interventions last year.

A total of 1,102 people received the 9,445 ‘episodes’ of treatment according to the annual report of Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI), the national homelessness and addiction charity, the operator of the facility.

The facility, which was opened last December, in the middle of an 18-month pilot after being licensed by the Department of Health.

The facility, which cost about €5 million, will provide a safe space for people to inject drugs using sterile equipment under the supervision of a nurse, as well as counselling and other support services.

The injection facility is designed to reduce the health risks associated with intravenous drug use, including overdose and the transmission of conditions such as HIV and Hepatitis C through people sharing or reusing needles.

The charity’s chief executive Eddie Mullins said that the facility was already “saving lives by preventing overdose deaths, reducing infections, and providing dignity and safety where previously there was none” for people with addictions.

Speaking at the launch of the annual report, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor also praised the supervised injection facility.

Murnane O’Connor said that the figures showing that staff have assisted more than 1,100 people “demonstrates the importance of a health-led harm reduction approach for high-risk drug users”.

The annual report also shows there has been a significant increase in people aged over 55 needing help from Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI), the national homelessness and addiction charity, according to the group’s annual report.

Almost 900 people aged 55 and over were cared for by MQI last year, compared to 692 people in 2023.

Across last year, the charity’s report outlines that it provided 81,878 meals, 4,027 showers and 2,362 mental health interventions.

The charity also saw demand surge among women, supporting 165 women throughout last year – almost three times the number from the previous year.

Mullins warned that the figures in the charity’s report show the “growing demand” for homelessness, healthcare and mental health supports.

This mirrors the national picture, with figures last week showing that more than 5,000 children are living in emergency accommodation in Ireland, out of a total of 16,058 people who were officially recognised as homeless.

Eddie Mullins, CEO of Merchants Quay Ireland, pictured last year. The Journal The Journal

At Merchant’s Quay Ireland, there was a 24% increase in meals served, which highlights the “scale of need among people” who are homeless according to Mullins.

“Every cup of tea, every meal represents an opportunity to meet people with kindness. Only when basic needs are met can we begin to support people out of homelessness and addiction,” Mullins added.

Mullins said the charity “urgently require more beds, more therapies and more capacity” in its detox and rehabilitation facilities. Last year saw a 26% increase, or 123 people in total, in the number of people admitted to these treatments.

“Behind each statistic is a person in crisis, and we are proud to meet them with empathy, dignity, and connection,” Mullins said.