Councillors want to see injection clinic trial in Limerick city

COUNCILLORS are to lobby Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to open a new injection clinic in Limerick on a trial basis.
It comes with the number of people suffering from addiction on the city streets, at “epidemic levels,” according to one councillor, Joe Leddin.
A motion from councillor Shane Hickey-O’Mara was passed with widespread support at this month’s metropolitan meeting to write to the Health Minister in a bid to secure the facility for the city.

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“Putting all of our collective weight behind this call to the Minister will actively help to make our streets safer for residents, including those in addiction. It will also help to prevent those residents in addiction who fear arrest, or who are experiencing shame as a result of dehumanising treatment they experience, from moving out of the city which can lead to dangerous drug detritus being found in the suburbs, near schools, playgrounds and parks,” said the northside councilor.
Shaming people in addiction pushes them to hide, he said. There was widespread support for Cllr Hickey-O’Mara’s motion, which was seconded by his Social Democrats colleague, Cllr Elisa O’Donovan.
Independent councillor Maria O’Donoghue said: “Addiction has been normalised in Limerick city centre.”
“We can do all the public realm works we want, all these tidying up projects. But while there is still such a strong culture of addiction in our city centre, people will not come in,” she said.