Plans are being drawn up for the country's first drug injection centre, in Dublin city centre.

The Ana Liffey project is working on legislation to allow the facility and also wants to set up an emergency stabilisation facility for addicts.

Unveiling its strategy for the next two years, the addiction treatment service said lawyers are drawing up legislation that would allow injection rooms.

The Ana Liffey project says the medically supervised centres would reduce crime, anti-social behaviour and public injecting. 

It says injection centres are used in over 90 countries worldwide, and that it would reduce the number of fatal overdoses, now running at one a day.

The business group Dublin Town says it will support the project as long as it is a mobile facility and its effects on the locality can be assessed.

Ana Liffey, which treated over 2,500 addicts last year, is also looking for funding for an emergency stabilisation facility in the city to cater for 20 drug users at a time.

Project director Tony Duffin said that every euro spent on treatment can save €2.50 in health and crime costs.

He also said Ireland needs to accept that it is not realistic to expect that drug use can be eliminated.