In preparation for the European elections in next month, Hot Press asked seven candidates from across the political spectrum a series of questions related to the big issues that are affecting people in Ireland today.

Hot Press has, for a long time, stood behind the idea of supervised injection rooms being introduced in Ireland to ensure safety for those who are most vulnerable in our society. To that end, we asked ‘Should injection centres be allowed in Ireland?'

Some of the most fervent, positive responses came from the likes of People Before Profit’s Adrienne Wallace, Sinn Fein’s Lynn Boylan, the Green Party’s Saoirse McHugh, and Labour’s Sheila Nunan.

Adrienna Wallace’s response to the question was: “Yes. The so-called war on drugs has failed – in fact all it did was create the perfect breeding ground for criminal gangs. PBP wants to move towards the model of drug decriminalisation seen in Portugal. Drug use should be seen as a mental health issue, so that we can actually deal with the problem and ensure people are able to recover and reach their full potential again.”

Lynn Boylan said: “Yes, I support the use of safe, supervised injection centres and they have proven themselves to work in other places. They have been recommended by the Drugs Advisory Board as far back as 2005.”

Saoirse McHugh: “Taking a health service based approach to drug use, as opposed to a criminal justice-based approach, has been proven to save lives.”

Sheila Nunan: “Medically supervised injection centres are proven to prevent fatal overdoses and greatly reduce blood-borne infections, such as HIV and Hepatitis C. Nobody deserves to die on our streets."

Fine Gael’s Mark Durkan said that injection centres were about harm reduction: “I want to ensure that individuals suffering from drug addiction are supported in a way that improves their health and that they have access to medical and social supports. Supervised injection facilities are not about promoting the use of drugs, but instead are about reducing harm.”

Fianna Fail’s Billy Kelleher believed that injection centres should be introduced on a ‘pilot basis’: “They should be rolled out on a pilot basis, to test how effective they are in an Irish context to help reduce deaths.”

Peter Casey, an Independent candidate, answered: “I thought they already were [allowed], if not yes.”

Across six pages, we ask each of these candidates about their positions on a variety of important issues. You can buy the new Hot Press in stores now or order it online here: