HSE still defending needle bin

A sharps bin near Wellington Road, which was removed months ago, is still a bone of contention for residents in the area.

The matter came up for discussion once again at a community forum for the St Luke’s area this week with locals claiming it should never have been placed there. They said it had a detrimental effect on the area adding that the bin advertised it as a place to take drugs.

Some residents also told the meeting, held on Monday, that the elderly were afraid to walk by it. Residents said they were delighted it was removed and never wanted to see it back there again.

However, the meeting also heard pockets of Sidney Park are “still no go areas” and drug taking still takes place although it has improved since the needle bin was removed from the nearby Charlemont Terrace.

Frank Horgan, a needle exchange worker with the HSE in Cork city, was at the meeting and listened to residents’ concerns but stood by the decision to place the sharps bin in the area adding that it was needed, when it was placed there more than two years ago. Mr Horgan refuted claims that it advertised the area as a place to take drugs.

He said: “Before the bin was placed there, there was an average of 77 needles littered on the ground in the area and after the bin went in that decreased to zero so it was working.

“It wasn’t promoting drug taking, it was a reactionary measure to a problem. I still visit the area three times a week.”

Mr Horgan continued: “I also link in with people on the streets who are taking drugs to try to get them on a methadone treatment programme.”

Mr Horgan urged residents to contact him if they came across drug litter and said he would come and remove it straight away.