About Us
The National Advocacy Service for People who use Drugs in Ireland
Advocacy for people who use drugs
UISCE is the National Advocacy Service for People who use Drugs in Ireland. UISCE ensures that the human rights of people who use drugs are protected in our laws, policies and services, by advocating on behalf of a person or empowering them to self-advocate.
Our main goal is to ensure the human rights of the community of people who use drugs are protected within services, and that their voices are heard where decisions that impact their lives are being made.
UISCE advocates for the rights of the community at both local and national level.
Representing the community at the tables where decisions are made
National
- National Drug Strategy: Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery
- National Oversight Committee for the National Drug Strategy
- Standing Sub-Committee of the National Oversight Committee
- National Addiction Advisory Governance Group
- Methadone Protocol Prescribing Implementation Committee
- Naloxone Implementation Programme: Quality Assurance Group and Training
- Combined Homeless Addiction Competency Framework Steering Group
- HEPC Partnership
Local
- North Inner City Drug and Alcohol Task Force
- Treatment and Rehabilitation (NICDATF)
- North West Inner City Network
- Inner City Organisation Network
- Addiction, Health and Mental Health Subgroup (NEIC)
Evidence gathered from the community, not about it
UISCE advocates for the rights of people who use drugs in Ireland by gathering information directly from the community about their needs and about service provision, and presenting it to these groups.
How we collect information from the community
Peer-led outreach
Peers meet people who use drugs where they are, on the street and in services, and bring back what is actually happening. In 2024 that meant 188 outreach sessions and over 4,000 engagements.
Service user forums
Group settings where people raise the issues affecting them directly, develop their own analysis of the causes, and decide what should be brought to decision-makers on their behalf.
Advocacy cases
Individual advocacy requests reach us from across Ireland. The issues people bring are strikingly consistent, and that pattern is evidence in itself of where systems are failing.
Brass Munkie
UISCE aims to ensure that the community of people who use drugs has access to relevant information about services, legislation and any other relevant topic.
To do this we publish a magazine, Brass Munkie, which provides accessible information both to people who use drugs and to service providers.
Want your voice to be heard?
If you want your voice heard at local or national level, get in touch and we will support you.