Legislation was introduced in Ireland in 2017 to enable the establishment of safer injecting facilities (SIFs). The legislation was introduced amid much public debate about the benefits of these facilities and concerns that they raise.

This article considers the context and policy development in Ireland around the introduction of SIFs, in addition to exploring the debates about their operation. The findings from a small-scale research study, conducted by the author as part of a master’s programme in criminology and criminal justice in University College Dublin in 2018, are outlined. The focus of this research was to gauge the views of members of An Garda Síochána (n = 5) based in the Dublin metropolitan area on the potential for SIFs to operate effectively and efficiently. Gardaí were identified as appropriate participants as they are often the first point of contact with street drug users and have an awareness of how the introduction of SIFs may impact on policing strategy and operations.