The new government have confirmed they will provide funding to introduce new plans that will see the opening of supervised drug rehabilitation injection centres.
The news of the much needed centres comes as Fine Gael and Independent TD’s reached an agreement to support a health-led rather than criminal justice approach to drug use.
The introduction of the new scheme was welcomed by former drugs minister and former Labour party TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who relentlessly campaigned to see such a scheme put in place.
Mr Ó Ríordáin said the decision to take a different approach to tackling the use of drugs was the right one, after he previously stated that he had “no idea” what would happen to the plan he had set in train.
It is now thought the previous governments amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Bill which allow for the establishment of supervised injection centres, will brought before the Dáil in the near future.