NewsPress Release
- Minister Murnane O’Connor announces new National Drug Strategy 2026-2030 with five strategic pillars alongside a dedicated Action Plan.
- The five-year strategy includes an interim review after two years, in 2028, before final implementations are made by 2030.
- Merchants Quay Ireland welcomes the foundational framework and ambition to deliver a health-led and whole-of-government response that prioritises prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery.
- Budget 2027 provides an additional €12 million for drugs and inclusion health measures, including €8.5 million to begin implementing the National Drugs Strategy 2026–2030 and expand existing drugs initiatives.
- CEO Eddie Mullins warns of the challenges of the current landscape and the importance of keeping a practical, health-led approach to delivery that addresses existing challenges while introducing preventative measures.
Wednesday, 14 October 2026: National homelessness and addiction charity Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) welcomes the Government’s commitment to implementing the new National Drugs Strategy and the additional investment in addiction and inclusive health services as a necessary step forward.
The charity warns that Ireland’s increasingly complex drug landscape requires continued investment in evidence-based harm reduction measures alongside treatment and recovery services. According to MQI, maintaining a balanced, health-led approach will be essential if the strategy is to deliver meaningful impact for those most at risk.
They highlight that in order to see real change, an approach needs to consider robust, long-term social support and treatment services that meet people where they are at, alongside preventative measures.
Practical applications and a health-led approach to harm reduction will be key to success
The National Drugs Strategy 2026-2030 lays out five strategic pillars: protection from harm, provision of quality treatment services, promotion of recovery, prioritisation of health supports over criminal sanctions and preparedness for global drug threats. It also includes four enabling measures: providing leadership, supporting communities, the use of evidence and taking a collaborative approach.
The supplementary action plan covering the period of 2026-2028 will be reviewed at the midway point before a final implementation plan is brought forward.
As a national homelessness and addiction charity with experience of the practical application of health-led solutions and the realities for people and their families, MQI is emphasising the importance of practical delivery measures, as well as maintaining momentum, to ensure Ireland’s approach remains in line with the latest research and evidence.
In particular, MQI has pointed towards keeping sight of harm reduction as the foundational principle and taking modern and peer-led responses to the ever-evolving drug landscape that consider the needs of those most at risk.
MQI CEO Eddie Mullins said:
When considering harm reduction, the strategy needs to be capable of intervening at risk points, rather than relying exclusively on long-term behavioural change or abstinence-focused models.
Crucially, the voices and lived experience of people affected by addiction, and of their families, must be central to how the strategy is implemented.
MQI’s experience operating Ireland’s first Medically Supervised Injection Facility demonstrates that practical and innovative services can be delivered safely, effectively and in a way that supports public health objectives, community safety and sustained engagement with community, justice, health and social‑care stakeholders and services.
We see the strategy as a step in the right direction with recovery, harm reduction, treatment, gender-responsive supports and regional support at its core.
Ireland’s drug landscape continues to evolve. We are dealing with complex drug use, mental health needs and significant social exclusion. We need sustained investment in evidence-based harm reduction, and the strategy needs to translate into practical measures on the ground.
We welcome the publication of the strategy and look forward to working with government and HSE and community partners to ensure its ambitions are translated into meaningful outcomes for people affected by addiction, homelessness and social exclusion.
