Drug syringe bins may be installed across Dublin

Bins for drug users to discard needles and syringes may be provided across Dublin city later this year.

Two syringe disposal bins are in place in the south inner city on a pilot basis.

They are thought to be the first such bins in Ireland or Britain to be placed in public, open-air areas.

Dublin City Council, which provides the bins, hopes they will reduce the numbers of openly discarded needles and the risks posed to those who might pick them up.

The bins, which are made of steel and about 90cm high and 40cm wide, are wall-mounted and have a small hole in the front.

Both bins have been in place since January.

One of them, in St Audoen's Park near Christ Church Cathedral, is on a wall behind which drug users are known to inject.

It is emptied daily and at lunchtime yesterday contained a large number of syringes.

Needle exchange

A second bin is at nearby Wood Quay, close to Merchants Quay Ireland, the largest needle exchange in the State.

Since January some 2kg of drugs paraphernalia has been collected from the St Audoen’s Park bin, while the amount found on the ground in and near the park has fallen by about 20 per cent.