"Shooting up" area for Grand Parade

rob316

Our incoming Lord Mayor suggested that the Grand Parade public toilets be designated for addicts to shoot up.

Now in theory I understand his point and we all know already that's what it is used for but its just seems mad are we to openly let people get high on the Grand Parade? The Garda are to turn a blind eye to this illegal use of a Class A substance?

Anyone else got a view on this?

serjical_strike

Well, it's a fairly ridiculous suggestion really. These people should not be given an opportunity to shoot up especially in a public place. Help should be given, not an area which will promote the use of such things.

mordeith

Yeah, they should. Just change the entrance fee from 20c to 100 euro.

gimmick

HAMSTERDAM comes to mind.

If you isolate the problem to one area it's better than people shooting up everywhere.

Not the worst idea I've ever heard.

deRanged

They already do, so leave them at it. Put proper cleaning in place, job done. It'll make garda surveillance super easy and effective too.

cardinal tetra

Since when did cork needs shooting up a area. Can they not just arrest the dealers, cut off the supply and arrest and deport the junkies to Longford.

Corholio

Whatever about the idea itself, that area is a ridiculous place to put it. Every word that comes out of a councillor or politicians mouth about promoting Cork or advancing Cork would be undone by such a location, and idea in general really.

stannis

Welcome to the Grand Parade, one of Cork's finest thoroughfares. Over there we have the English Market, a source of delicious food and a major tourist attraction... that's Bishop Lucey Park, a fine place for young lovers to hold their trysts... here, the City Library for our scholars and look, that's the historic Masonic Hall on Tuckey Street (don't go in alone)...

oh and this is the place where the junkies shoot up.

Gone West

There should certainly be supervised injection centers, but they should not be in prime real-estate. Push them down some back alleys where the tourists don't have to see this crap.
Also sanctioning an area is only half the job. They really need medical staff to help the junkies shoot up and to also offer rehab programs, needle exchange, and so on.

whisky_galore

I'd hate to be the poor b*stard whose job it is to clean those everyday.

Not a bad idea, maybe not having it on Pana but somewhere else more discrete, but I'll wager it will never see the light of day.
Gardai only get them to 'move on', like that works well.

dearmondM75

I think we should be trying to clean the area up, not make it worse. I like Grand Parade but it's dodgy at certain times. I was walking down the street at about 6.30/7 a few months ago, and I saw several people (probably in their late teens) shooting up in the doorway of the library.

As far as I know, these are the only public bathrooms in the city centre (outside of shops) and it's an incredibly daft idea to encourage addicts to shoot up in them, particularly on such a central street.

clerk

Was walking down Maylor Street yesterday and very near the St. Patrick side there was a syringe on the ground. There were kids all around the place, a kid could easily have tripped and fallen onto it. The path is cobblestone down that street too. First time l've seen that so close to the central City. Before anyone asks, somebody I was with put it in the bin and I have to say even doing that I was concerned for whomever has to empty the bins. It's getting very serious, it's going to take an accident to happen before the powers that be will really focus on it. Typical Ireland that.

kub

It is a good idea but The Grand Parade is an absolutely ridiculous idea, as previous posters have mentioned with regard to tourist's.
Now what about the annual Christmas Market that is set up there and thousands of children that brings with it? Then around the corner in a few years we will have the events centre.

Am I correct in thinking the next Lord Mayor is a Sinn Fein man? Well if that is the case, little wonder he came up with it.

cc

anyone got a link to what was actually proposed?

ofcork

The echo had an article on it last week.

evilivor

cc wrote: »

anyone got a link to what was actually proposed?

It originally came from the drugs minister, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who reckons heroin addicts should be allowed to legally inject in a medically supervised setting.

kub

evilivor wrote: »

It originally came from the drugs minister, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who reckons heroin addicts should be allowed to legally inject in a medically supervised setting.

And the Lord Mayor things a jax is such a setting

Henry94

If a shooting gallery is a good idea and I think it might be there is no reason to locate it near the children's library and in one of the nicest parts of town.