‘I find a lot of syringes’: Discarded drug paraphernalia a problem which has increased in Cork in recent years

One member of Cork City Council’s cleansing department, who asked that The Echo not name him, said he is often troubled by one aspect of the job.

“I find a lot of syringes, where people are sleeping out in the streets, it’s a part of the job that I don’t like,” he said.

“We’re told it’s our job to pick up syringes, but I’m not comfortable with it, to be honest with you.

“It can be psychological as well, it can get into your head, it’s tough to see. I won’t go into politics, but it’s sad to see.”

He said that evidence of rough sleeping is found all over the city, with sleeping bags often abandoned in areas both secluded and public.

Drug paraphernalia and used syringes are problems which have increased markedly in the city over the past number of years, he said.

Some days, he said, he might not pick up any syringes at all, but on other days he might find as many as eight or nine.

“I have a syringe box and picker. I have a cannister in my barrow and I return them to my supervisor.

“It’s just not nice, it’s something I don’t like doing.

“I see a lot of people with addiction problems. I’ve seen people overdose.

“It’s not a nice part of the job.”

The day shift of Cork City Council’s cleansing department works from 6am to 2pm, while the evening shift is 2pm to 10pm, with 12 men working in the city centre – the cleansing department staff is currently all male – working across the day.