The Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) annual review for 2013 was launched on 11 September 2014 by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke.1  

MQI’s 17th annual review notes the continuing growth of homelessness and drug use. Whilst there is evidence of an improving economic outlook, the benefit of this improvement has not yet reached those individuals most in need.

The New Communities Support Service provided one-to-one support to 250 service users mostly from Eastern European countries. The largest numbers of new community clients were from Poland.

MQI’s needle-exchange service recorded approximately 22,898 client visits in 2013. The report highlights a continuing high level of demand for homelessness services: 85,170 meals were provided by the day and evening services, and 4,467 health-care interventions were provided.

The year 2013 saw MQI continue to provide the national prison-based addiction counselling service to 13 prisons. Demand for this service continues to grow: 11,452 individual counselling sessions were provided,  representing an 8% increase over 2012; 4,646 group attendances were recorded, representing a 27% increase. In Mountjoy Prison, MQI’s counselling service co-ordinates an inter-agency programme at the medical unit

MQI in association with the Midland Regional Drugs Task Force and the HSE administers the Midlands Family Support and Community Harm Reduction Service, providing outreach and working with families of those actively using drugs in that task force region. In 2013:

• The family support service provided 230 group sessions and 762 individual sessions, and 771 supportive phone calls.
• The harm reduction service provided on average 257 needle exchanges each month.
• Athlone Open Door Centre had 148 clients during 2013, recording 3,264 visits and providing 2,796 meals.
• The Midlands Rehabilitation and Aftercare service worked with 41 individuals, providing 555 one-to one-sessions and 58 group sessions.

1 Merchants Quay Ireland (2014) Annual review 2013. Dublin: MQI. https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22627/