There’s been a rise of over a third in addiction referrals to the St. Francis Farm Detox Unit in Carlow.
However, only 49 of 319 people referred could be admitted, due to limited resources.
Merchants Quay Ireland is making an urgent call for investment in its residential recovery services in Budget 2025.
Spokesperson Corina Fitzsimons says demand for services is surging, noting; “We are overwhelmed, there’s approximately 20,000 people use opioids in Ireland so that is just one of the many substances that people may be addicted to so it just shows the huge, huge demand and what we have seen is that people need access to threshold detox and rehabilitation facilities”.
She adds; “Last year we supported over 13,500 people and sadly that demand is continuing to grow and just the sheer number of people that are seeking our services it shows the urgent need for change and for further investment in services right throughout the county and we know that with the right support and access to the right support people can and do recover their lives”.
