Petition launched for detox beds at Portlaoise hospital
The petition for detox beds was launched on 6 January. File image
A PETITION has been launched for urgent detoxification beds at the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise (MRHP).
The online petition set up on 6 January is seeking three medically supervised detox beds for people with alcohol and drug addiction, amid fears that lives are at risk.
The campaign on My Uplift was launched by the Portlaoise-based ARC Project, a voluntary group supporting individuals and families affected by addiction.
Founded by David Delaney and Michelle Robertson, the ARC Project has provided a range of supports for individuals and families since October 2024.
David said: “When people in the midlands ask for help with serious alcohol or drug dependence, there is often nowhere safe for them to go. MRHP has no dedicated detoxification beds, meaning people can be left in overcrowded emergency departments or sent home to unsafe situations, where withdrawal can be life-threatening.”
The new petition calls on health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to establish the first detox beds at Portlaoise hospital, with clear exit routes to recovery services. It can be signed here.
The ARC Project said in the petition: ‘People across the midlands are being put at risk because MRHP has no dedicated detoxification beds. When someone seeks help for serious alcohol or drug dependence, they are often left in overcrowded emergency departments or sent home to unsafe situations.
‘Families are watching loved ones struggle, without access to proper medical care at the moment it is most needed. We are calling on you to establish three medically supervised detox beds with seven-day access and clear pathways into addiction and recovery services.
‘This is a small, practical step that could save lives, support families and give people in the midlands a real chance at recovery.’
Laois Co Council has already backed the appeal for detox beds, following a motion proposed last November by Labour councillor Marie Tuohy, at the request of the ARC Project.
Cllr Tuohy asked that three beds for people suffering from alcohol and drug dependence be opened at the hospital, with seven-day admission pathways and integrated links to HSE addiction services and community recovery supports. The motion received unanimous support.
The ARC Project is appealing to people to sign the My Uplift online petition, titled ‘Demand Detox Beds at Midlands Regional Hospital’.
Organisers said: ‘Three medically supervised detox beds would save lives, support families, reduce pressure on emergency services and create a real pathway into recovery. This is a small, practical change - but for many people, it would make all the difference.’
ARC stands for ‘Addiction Recovery Community’. Family support meetings, as well as separate meetings for those in recovery, are held from 7.15pm to 8.15pm every Monday in the prefab at the Laois Partnership premises, New Road, Portlaoise.
For more details, email info@thearcproject.ie.
