In a speech in London yesterday the minister outlined plans to decriminalise (as opposed to legalise) the carrying of small quantities of drugs. Today he’s gone one further and talked about his plans to bring about a ‘supervised injection centre’ in Dublin city centre.

Speaking on RTE’s Today with Seán O’Rourke, Ó Ríordáin said that the approach is a “compassionate” one, but also a logical one.

“We’re trying to address a situation in Dublin’s city centre where people are injecting heroin in street alleyways, in parks, supermarkets, playgrounds. It’s unsightly, and it’s unsafe, particularly for the users themselves,” he said.