Press Release
Wednesday, 4 November 2026: Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) recorded 183,763 engagements with people experiencing homelessness and addiction in 2025, up from 141,730 engagements in 2024, an increase of almost 30%, according to the charity’s Annual Review launched today.
The number of women accessing Jane’s Place, MQI’s dedicated women-only service, increased from 165 women in 2024 to 255 women in 2025, representing a 55% increase year-on-year. The report, launched today at Jane’s Place by Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, highlights growing pressure across homelessness, addiction and mental health services, alongside increasing demand for dedicated, trauma-informed supports for women.
Jane’s Place provides a dedicated women-only environment for women experiencing homelessness and addiction. Designed in collaboration with the women who use the service, it offers healthcare, counselling, recovery supports, trauma-informed therapies, case management and wellbeing programmes. In 2025, the service delivered 4,241 interventions, compared with 1,132 engagements reported in 2024, an increase of almost 275%, and facilitated 146 group sessions involving 84 women.
Rising Demand Across MQI Services
The Annual Review highlights increasing demand across MQI’s services nationwide. During 2025, the charity supported 11,974 people, provided 83,667 meals, delivered 15,480 prison-based addiction counselling engagements, and supported 177 admissions to residential recovery programmes.
Following the launch of the National Drugs Strategy 2026–2030, MQI welcomed the Government’s commitment to implementing the strategy and the additional investment in addiction and inclusion health services as a necessary step forward. The charity emphasised that Ireland’s increasingly complex drug landscape requires continued investment in evidence-based harm reduction alongside treatment and recovery services, with practical delivery essential to achieving meaningful outcomes for those most at risk.
Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, said: “The work highlighted in this Annual Review demonstrates the critical importance of accessible, compassionate and evidence-based services for people experiencing homelessness and addiction. Jane’s Place is an excellent example of how dedicated, trauma-informed supports can help women engage with services in a way that feels safe, welcoming and empowering. Every person represented in these figures is someone seeking support, dignity and an opportunity to improve their circumstances, and organisations such as MQI play a vital role in making that possible.”
Eddie Mullins, CEO of Merchants Quay Ireland, said: “The scale of demand reflected in the Annual Review is stark. We recorded 183,763 engagements across our services during 2025, an increase of almost 30% in just one year. Behind every one of those engagements is a person seeking safety, healthcare, support or hope for the future.
“One of the clearest examples of growing need can be seen in Jane’s Place. The service supported 255 women during 2025, compared with 165 women the previous year, while service activity increased from 1,132 engagements to 4,241 interventions. We know that women experiencing homelessness and addiction often face unique challenges including trauma, violence, exploitation and stigma. Jane’s Place provides a safe, trusted environment where women can access the support they need with dignity and respect.
“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.
“While demand has increased significantly, our commitment remains unchanged. We will continue to ensure that every person who comes through our doors is treated with compassion and supported on their own personal journey towards stability and recovery”, he added.
Health-Led Responses Supporting People in Crisis
The report also highlights the first full year of operation of Ireland’s first Medically Supervised Injection Facility (MSIF) at MQI’s Riverbank Centre. During 2025, 1,470 people accessed the facility, accounting for 15,171 visits, while staff successfully managed 244 non-fatal overdoses.
On the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy, 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.”
Ray Langton, Chairperson of Merchants Quay Ireland throughout 2025, said: “This report demonstrates both the scale of the challenges facing some of the most vulnerable people in our society and the impact that effective, compassionate services can have. We are particularly proud of the progress made through Jane’s Place, which has established itself as a vital support for women experiencing homelessness and addiction.
“As demand continues to grow, MQI remains focused on strengthening pathways into recovery, healthcare, and social inclusion while ensuring that our services continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of those we support”, he added.
Key Findings from MQI Annual Review 2025
- 183,763 client engagements, up from 141,730 in 2024
- 11,974 people supported nationwide
- 255 women accessed Jane’s Place, up from 165 in 2024
- 4,241 Jane’s Place interventions, compared with 1,132 engagements reported in 2024
- 83,667 meals provided to people experiencing homelessness
- 177 admissions to residential recovery programmes
- 15,480 prison-based addiction counselling engagements
- 1,470 people accessed the MSIF during its first full year of operation.
