Permanent planning permission for supervised drug injection facility placed on hold after objection
Seán McCárthaigh
Permanent planning permission for the country’s first medically supervised drug injection facility at Merchant’s Quay in Dublin has been placed on hold following an objection by a local resident.
An appeal has been lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála against the recent decision of Dublin City Council to regularise the temporary planning permission for the treatment facility operated by the homeless and addiction charity, Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI).
The drop-in facility is operated from the basement of the Riverbank Building on Merchant’s Quay, Dublin 8, and was used by almost 1,200 individuals on over 10,700 visits in its first nine months after opening in December 2024, according to MQI.
However, local resident, Patrick Coyne, said the council’s decision was “procedurally unsound” as a statutory 18-month review of the facility by the HSE has not been completed, independently assessed, or published.
Mr Coyne claims the decision to grant permanent planning permission for the centre is also based on “an incomplete and selectively framed evidential record” which lacked independent verification.
The appellant stated a report provided by MQI does not assess the external impacts of the supervised drug injection facility such as child safety and neighbourhood amenity.
Mr Coyne claimed a submission from a “stakeholder forum” contained no input from independent residents or businesses as well as no dissenting views and overwhelmingly represented the views of statutory bodies and partner organisations aligned with the project.
He also claimed that there has been a “misapplication” of the zoning of the site to take account that the area has the highest concentration of addiction-related services in the country.
Mr Coyne also maintained there was an issue with effective oversight, enforcement and management of the area as it was located on the boundary of two Garda divisions as well as two different administrative areas of Dublin City Council.
He called on MQI to submit a new planning application to be supported by “independently verified socio-environmental data.”
MQI won a tender issued in 2018 by the HSE to operate the supervised injecting centre on a pilot basis for 18 months with the possibility of extending the trial period by another 18 months.
However, the facility, which is permitted under the Misuse of Drugs (Supervised Injecting Facilities) Act 2017 did not open until December 2024 due to planning issues.
Dublin City Council had originally refused planning permission for the project in 2019 but its ruling was successfully appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
However, the High Court quashed the board’s decision following judicial review proceedings taken by St Audeon’s primary school which ordered MQI’s application to be considered afresh.
Its current planning permission is due to expire in June 2026.
In a submission, MQI said its proposed permanent change of use is justified by the significant public health, social and environmental benefits which have been demonstrated during the pilot period.
The charity said the need for the facility remains “acute and ongoing.”
The average number of daily visitors to the facility rose steadily from almost 17 per day when it opened to 52 in November.
MQI claimed the centre has delivered measurable improvements for both service users and the wider community since it opened which made a compelling case for retention of the facility.
They include the prevention of overdose fatalities, reduced emergency service demand, reduced public injection incidents and drug-related litter.
“The permanent change of use will embed these positive outcomes long-term, ensuring ongoing health, safety and environmental benefits for the wider community,” said MQI.
Given the proximity of St Audeon’s National School, MQI said it had implemented specific operational safeguards to protect students and staff including continuous engagement with the school and targeted patrols in the surrounding area.
A six-month interim report by the HSE found the facility has resulted in cleaner streets and safer communities including a noticeable reduction in discarded needles, drug paraphernalia and public injecting.
MQI said six overdoses had been managed in the facility preventing hospitalisation or death.
It said the stakeholder forum which includes representatives from the local community, school and businesses had proven effective for addressing local concerns “promptly and constructively.”
MQI claims its service provide a hygienic, safe, medically supervised healthcare environment where individuals can inject drugs obtained elsewhere under the supervision of trained healthcare professionals
In a submission to the council, Green Party councillor, Michael Pidgeon, supported the proposal to make the existing facility permanent based on the need for such a service and international evidence of the positive impact of supervised drug injection centres.
Mr Pidgeon acknowledged that there were fears before it opened about possible adverse impacts but he claimed none of those fears had been realised.
“The facility is working well, saving lives, reducing pressure on emergency services, reducing needle dumping and public injecting and offering privacy and dignity to people suffering from addition,” said Cllr Pidgeon.
He argued delaying a decision until a full study on the 18-month trial was carried out would be a mistake as its purpose is to assess the value of the project from a public health perspective and is unrelated to planning issues.
A ruling by An Coimisiún Pleanála is due before the end of May.
