55% rise in demand for women's addiction service - report

There was significant demand for Merchant Quay Ireland's (MQI) dedicated women's service last year, according to its latest annual review.

Those who sought help for addiction and homelessness at Jane's Place rose by 55% between 2024 and 2025.

It highlights a significant need for accessible day support services, according to the charity.

Having spent a decade living abroad, Philomena returned to Ireland in recent years at the height of her addiction to alcohol, cocaine, prescription tablets and cannabis.

"It took over my life, and it came to the point where I walked out on my children, and I broke my marriage and I got myself into very dangerous situations.

"I was in a mental hospital, and I was in a foreign country, so I had to come back, or I was going to die," she says.

She spent 20 weeks in treatment and started to understand that it would be a lifelong process.

"I went into treatment for sobriety, but I stayed for the recovery," she said.

As she progressed to a day programme, she connected with Jane's Place, a women-only service offering a drop-in space run by Merchant's Quay which offered her ongoing support.

The women-only setting has been "really key" to Philomena's recovery.

Philomena joined a 16-week confidence-building program featuring activities, affirmations and time with other women, which helped her rebuild confidence and offered a sense of achievement.

She has described the women-only setting as "really key" to her recovery.

Support now includes working with a key worker on housing applications and plans for independent living, as well as access to mental-health support, activities and referrals to specialist services.

Looking back, she says she could not picture a future beyond the next week and points out that addiction can remain hidden.

"It's hidden behind closed doors and usually what happens is the woman erupts and then it's all her fault," she said.

Designed in collaboration with the women who use the service, Jane's Place which is based in Dublin City Centre opened in February 2024.

165 women attended the facility 2024 which rose to 255 in 2025 for healthcare, counselling, recovery support, trauma-informed therapies, case management, and wellbeing programmes.

In 2025, the service delivered 4,241 engagements, compared with 1,132 engagements reported in 2024, and facilitated 146 group sessions involving 84 women.

Deputy head of operations in the Dublin day services Sharon Geraghty says safety for the women is paramount.

The staff describe Jane's Place as a safe, trusted environment where women can access the support they need with dignity and respect.

She cited examples in the past where Muslim women have arrived at the facility and felt comfortable enough to remove their hijabs.

Overall, MQI recorded 183,763 engagements with people experiencing homelessness and addiction in 2025, up from 141,730 engagements in 2024.

The Charity has described the National Drugs strategy which was recently launched by the government as "a step in the right direction".

However, CEO Eddie Mullins has warned that 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," he said.

"Crucially, the voices and lived experience of people affected by addiction, and of their families, must be central to how the strategy is implemented," he added.

Last year was the first full year of operation of Ireland's first Medically Supervised Injection Facility at MQI's Riverbank Centre.

1,470 people accessed the facility, accounting for 15,171 visits, while staff successfully managed 244 non-fatal overdoses, according to the annual review.