To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) the number of individuals who have accessed the Public Health Agency needle exchange service pilot in four temporary accommodation hostels, in each financial year since 2023-24; and (ii) whether his Department plans to continue with the pilot.

The provision of harm reduction services within Northern Ireland is facilitated by the Public Health Agency (PHA). The PHA work alongside other statutory agencies, community pharmacies, community and voluntary organisations, low threshold services, and hostels to provide the Needle and Syringe Service (NSES) and Take Home Naloxone (THN) programme across the region. PHA use an online Harm Reduction Information System called Neo360 to capture live data on needle exchange and naloxone transactions across all sites. All data captured is anonymous and non-identifiable.

The PHA have opened needle exchanges within 3 temporary accommodation hostels, and one drop-in facility, for people experiencing homelessness. This service is not public facing and is only accessible to the service users of the relevant organisation.

The Welcome Organisation, Ann’s Gate Hostel installed two token-operated vending machines in July 2024 which dispensed needle exchange kits. These vending machines have been relocated with the service to Glenview in 2025. The number of individuals who use this service is not monitored as part of the Harm Reduction Information System for Northern Ireland.

The Welcome Organisation Drop in Service was an out-of-hours, outreach only service which had been in place since October 2020. The planned expansion of this service to include a stationary site at Townsend Street was halted with the site closing in October 2024. Following relocation and additional staff training this site is now preparing to re-open needle exchange.

Queen’s Quarter Housing opened a needle exchange in May 2023, however, due to high staff turnover the site closed in March 2024. This site has now re-engaged with PHA and are preparing to re-open needle exchange.

Extern’s Ormeau Centre opened needle exchange in July 2024 and remains opened.

In 2023-2024, 602 unique service users accessed these sites for needle exchange.

In 2024- 2025, 447 unique service users accessed these sites for needle exchange.

These sites are no longer within the pilot phase. The pilot has demonstrated the viability of NSES being placed within temporary accommodation provision. The PHA continues to work with all hostels where there is evidence of a need for needle and syringe exchange services and to consider the most appropriate type of service provision to reduce the spread of blood borne viruses, reduce needle discards and engage people who inject drugs in harm reduction services.