The Ana Liffey Drug Project (ALDP) is a ‘low-threshold, harm reduction’ project working with people who are actively using drugs and experiencing associated problems. ALDP has been offering harm reduction services to people in the north inner city area of Dublin since 1982, from premises at Middle Abbey Street. ALDP offers a wide variety of low-threshold, harm reduction services that provide pathways for people who use drugs out of their current circumstance, including addiction and homelessness.

The services offered in Dublin include:

• Open access
• Assertive outreach
• Needle and syringe programme
• Medical services
• Stabilisation group
• Detox group
• Harm reduction group
• Treatment options group
• Assessment for residential treatment
• Key working and case management
• Prison in-reach. 

Midwest region

The ALDP Midwest region provides harm reduction services in Limerick city and three counties to people affected by problematic substance use, their families, and the wider community. The counties served are Limerick, Clare, and North Tipperary. The ALDP Online and Digital Services team also offers support and information to the general public and to people who use drugs, as well as to other agencies that work with people with problematic drug use.

Annual report

The 2022 ALDP annual report was published in 2023.1 The report noted that in 2022 the Law Engagement and Assisted Recovery (LEAR) programme, which had been running for 8 years, came of age with increased cooperation from An Garda Síochána, who committed more time and effort to it than ever before. The aim of LEAR is to support people who have complex and multiple needs, such as addiction, criminality, homelessness, and mental health, to engage effectively with support services and to identify and achieve their goals. A key focus of the project is supporting people to move away from criminality and antisocial behaviour and towards their personal recovery. In April 2022, ALDP expanded LEAR into Dublin’s northeast inner city with four additional staff and two more Garda Stations in Mountjoy and Fitzgibbon Street coming on board. The report noted that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, ALDP was renowned for its open access drop-in service, whereas the emphasis is now on working with service users in community settings.

In 2022, ALDP also facilitated training on overdose prevention and naloxone use for hundreds of staff working in private emergency accommodation and for people who use drugs.

1    Ana Liffey Drug Project (2023) Ana Liffey Drug Project 2022 annual report. Dublin: Ana Liffey Drug Project. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/39563/