Dublin injection centre sees zero deaths despite 179 overdoses in nine months
None of the 179 overdoses at Dublin’s only supervised injection centre were fatal.
The Medically Supervised Injecting Facility (MSIF) located on Merchants Quay opened its doors in December 2024 to provide a place where those addicted to injectable drugs, mainly heroin, can do so in a safe, medically supervised facility. While some objected to the centre opening , Green Party Councillor Michael Pidgeon has highlighted the overdose figures as a sign that these centres work.
With 179 overdoses from January to September 2025 only three required an ambulance callout. One of these callouts was from a client who was already affected when he presented at the MSIF and was brought straight to aftercare before being discharged in an ambulance.
“On the street many of those would be fatal but in the facility none of them were. In fact, of the 179 overdoses only three of them involved an ambulance being called. If they were on the street you'd have a lot of ambulance callouts, they’d be quite frequent,” Cllr Pidgeon said.
These figures come from the MQI Information Pack which cites results of Ireland’s landmark step toward a “health-led approach to drug addiction.” Following the advice of public health experts, addiction specialists, and community organisations, the centre emulates countries like Portugal, Luxembourg and Canada who had previously proved that a “compassionate” approach to addiction could greatly reduce drug-related deaths.
There were 1,189 individuals using the MSIF during 10,723 visits in the first nine months of 2025. “For context, there are about 19,000 opioid users in Ireland. Considering they are not all in Dublin , almost 1200 people coming is a pretty high number,” Cllr Pidgeon said.
With a reception, injection room, and aftercare area, staff are on hand to provide care and link users to other health, addiction, or social services as required. Statistics show the gender split in visitors is around 80% men and 20% women with the number of people using the facility growing over time.
There was an average daily visitor figure for January 2025 standing at 16.9 by the following September this had risen to 51.8. This shows that, as awareness of the centre grew, more and more people suffering from addiction issues opted to inject in a safe, supervised environment.
“Another interesting thing that’s mentioned in the pack, but is only reported anecdotally by users, there isn't any statistics or data on it, is that some users say they were injecting less frequently because they were using the supervised injection service,” Cllr Pidgeon said.
Overall, Cllr Pidgeon said the figures show that the facility is being used by those who need it, it is providing a safe space for clients, and that there are more needed across Dublin and Ireland. “The aim of it is to reduce drug deaths, reduce the spread of disease through needle sharing, and also to stop public injecting,” he said.
Local stakeholders were also cited in the MQI Information Pack with the Oliver Bond Residents Group stating the goal of keeping drug users safe and alive has “most definitely been achieved” and “thankfully no one has lost their lives using a safer space.” Sporting Liberties had expressed concern about the centre being located so close to a school but said it must be acknowledged that “this facility is now providing an essential service to drug users in the immediate vicinity.”
Dublin Town said when the concept of the MSIF was raised there was concern among the business community that it could increase “drug related activity” but this concern “has not materialised.” “The MSIF has provided a safe space for people who use drugs and has a positive impact on the drug-using community, without negative consequences for the business community in the general area,” a spokesperson said.
An Garda Siochana, the HSE, and UISCE (Advocacy for People who use Drugs) all expressed their belief that the injection centre has been a success. “The positive impact of the service is further affirmed by information from the local emergency department (St James Hospital) that reported a significant drop in emergency department attendances related to opioid overdose,” Dr Kevin Lally, Chairperson of the MSIF Clinical Governance Committee said.
Considering this response, Dublin City Council has granted permission to allow the facility to continue operating indefinitely. “This is really good news for Dublin because it means Dubliners who are trapped in addiction will get more support and care,” Cllr Pidgeon said.
“It means surrounding communities will have to put up with less in terms of public injecting or needles being dumped. But it is also something that sends a signal to the rest of this country that we need these facilities and they are proven to work.”
Cllr Pidgeon said that “in an ideal world” centres like the MSIF wouldn’t be needed and heroin addiction wouldn’t be such a widespread problem. However, “in the country we have and the world we live in” he said injection centres are “a practical response to the kind of suffering people in addiction face every single day.”
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