Laois cancer patients shared trains with drug addicts during pandemic

In an unfortunate twist of the Covid pandemic, some of the most vulnerable and sick people in Laois were confronted face to face by drug addicts, on public transport.

Both groups were the only people taking the train to Dublin during the pandemic, with both heading to the city to access medical help.

Speaking this week, Laois Offaly Chief Superintendent John Scanlan has explained how that happened.

“One of the things the pandemic threw up is that most of the people disappeared off public transport except two cohorts of society, 

“One was addicts making their way to drug treatment centres in Dublin and the other was unfortunate people requiring acute health care making their way to a Dublin hospital, to receive perhaps cancer treatment. 

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“We found ourselves in difficult policing circumstances, so we ended up putting guards on the trains,” he said.

The Chief Superintendent was speaking at a public discussion held in Portlaoise, between the Policing Authority, and senior Irish Gardaí, including Commissioner Drew Harris.