CALL FOR SACKING OF DRUG PROJECT DIRECTOR

The director of the Merchants Quay Project should be removed from his post
for advocating the distribution of free heroin to certain addicts, according
to the head of a European anti-drugs agency.

Ms Grainne Kenny, speaking on behalf of Europe Against Drugs (Eurad), has
also urged the Franciscan friars, who house the project at Merchants Quay in
Dublin, to take a "hard look" at what the centre is doing.

Calling last night for the sacking of Mr Tony Geoghegan, she described as
"spurious" and "untrue" his claim that the distribution of heroin to addicts
was well established in other European countries.

She added: "For too long now we have had to listen to this rubbish being fed
to the public by Merchants Quay. To offer heroin to a heroin addict is as
stupid as asking an alcoholic what his favourite tipple is, so that the
treatment centre can offer a steady supply."

Responding to Ms Kenny's comments, Mr Geoghegan said that he was not
surprised, as Eurad had a particular perspective on the drugs issue, which
was one of total abstinence. "They're against even methadone," he said.

His comments had been sensationalised and distorted, he said. What he had
proposed was merely that all options should be considered, including the
controlled distribution of heroin in some cases.

This might be done with a view to getting users off the drug eventually, if
that was possible; but also from the viewpoint of improving other areas of
their lives, such as eliminating crime, helping relationships or increasing
employability. Similar schemes were in place in Switzerland and in the
Netherlands, he said.

"Ireland has the highest rate of drug deaths in the EU, and I would just
argue that we shouldn't be blinkered about this. There are many different
ways of dealing with drug use in Europe."

Ms Kenny said that Fianna Fail's drug policy, on which she had advised, was
against the so-called "harm-reduction approach", which included free needle
exchange and long-term distribution of methadone.