Merchants Quay Ireland

What Merchants Quay Ireland does

Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) is a registered Irish charity founded in 1969 that delivers crisis intervention, healthcare, harm reduction, residential rehabilitation, and prison-based counselling services to people experiencing homelessness and addiction. Headquartered in Dublin with 143 employees, MQI operates an Open Access Centre at the Riverbank facility, two residential programmes — High Park (a 13-bed, 14-week drug- and alcohol-free rehabilitation programme) and St. Francis Farm (detox and residential rehabilitation) — and regional drug-and-alcohol treatment services across Dublin, the East Coast (Wicklow/Arklow), the Midlands, and Cavan/Monaghan, as well as a national prison-based addiction counselling service and the Young Person Support Programme for 18–24 year olds. Its most strategically significant asset in development is Ireland's first Medically Supervised Injecting Facility (MSIF), for which MQI was named HSE preferred operator in 2018 and secured An Bord Pleanála planning permission in December 2022 following a High Court judicial review. Gender-specific provision is delivered through Jane's Place, launched in February 2022 for women in addiction and homelessness, and a dedicated Mental Health Team supports clients with co-morbid psychiatric needs.

Technically, MQI is a service-delivery organization rather than a software or product company; its core operational stack combines physical fixed-asset infrastructure (clinics, residential beds, injecting booths with oxygen/naloxone/defibrillator, nursing stations), digital outreach channels (website, social media, the 'Tea with Merchants Quay' podcast, Quay Times newsletter, virtual tours), and clinical-grade telehealth where feasible. Research collaborations with University College Dublin (UCD) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) underpin evidence generation on COVID-19 mental health impacts among homeless populations, women's substance use, syringe analysis, and drug trends.

MQI's business model is that of a non-transactional charity: all services are provided free of charge to clients, with no pricing or fee structure. Revenue is generated entirely through diversified funding streams — individual donations, corporate partnerships (including in-kind logistics partner Woodland Group Ireland), HSE and government grants, tax-efficient giving programmes, legacies, in-memory giving, community fundraising events (10k Steps Challenge, Road to Recovery Challenge, marathon participation), and merchandise/in-kind donations. Governance is exercised through three corporate entities — Merchants Quay Ireland Clg (primary), St Francis Housing Association Clg (housing services), and Merchants Quay Project CE Scheme Clg (Community Employment Scheme) — with leadership under CEO Eddie Mullins.

Name

Merchants Quay Ireland

Legal name

Merchants Quay Ireland Clg

Website

https://mqi.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Merchants Quay Ireland is a Dublin-based registered charity, founded in 1969, that delivers free crisis-intervention, healthcare, harm-reduction, residential rehabilitation, and prison-counselling services to people experiencing homelessness and addiction across four Irish regions, serving over 135,000 clients annually through 143 staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Addiction Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Temporary Shelters (624221), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN), Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA)

Keywords

• Homeless services
• Addiction treatment
• Harm reduction
• Residential rehabilitation
• Crisis intervention

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Merchants Quay Ireland provides free, in-person crisis intervention, healthcare and addiction services to people experiencing homelessness and addiction in Ireland. Core offerings span open access day services (food, showers, GP/nursing/dental care), harm reduction (needle exchange, planned Medically Supervised Injecting Facility), residential detox and rehabilitation (St Francis Farm and High Park), mental health support, gender-specific support (Jane's Place), youth programmes, prison-based addiction counselling, regional community treatment services and family support, all delivered by qualified clinical and social work staff across multiple HSE-aligned regions.

Product overview

Merchants Quay Ireland is a registered charity offering a comprehensive portfolio of homeless and addiction services across Ireland. The core offering centres on the Open Access Centre in Dublin providing crisis intervention, food, showers, healthcare, and harm reduction services. Key service modules include residential programmes (High Park 14-week rehabilitation, St. Francis Farm Detox and Residential Rehab), the Medically Supervised Injecting Facility (MSIF), Mental Health Team support, and gender-specific services (Jane's Place for women). The organisation operates regional services in the Midlands (DATS), East Coast (CRIS), Louth and Meath (Family Support), and Cavan/Monaghan (CAMDAS). Additional offerings include the National Prison-Based Addiction Counselling Service, Needle Exchange and Harm Reduction Service, Young Person Support Programme, and the Tea with Merchants Quay podcast for outreach and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jane's Place: A gender-specific service offering one-to-one support for women in addiction and homelessness.
• High Park Residential Rehabilitation Programme
• Medically Supervised Injecting Facility (MSIF)
• CAMDAS (Cavan & Monaghan Drug and Alcohol Service)

Products and services

• Open Access Centre (Riverbank Centre)

Quantifiable outcome

• 135,160 total clients helped
• +8 more outcomes

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Woodland Group IrelandcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 August 2021Woodland Group Ireland, a leading freight forwarding and supply chain company, partnered with MQI as their official charity partner. As part of the partnership, Woodland Group provides free warehousing, free domestic transport, fundraising support through their network, and communications/creative support to MQI's marketing team. Woodland Group previously raised over €4,000 through the MQI Road to Recovery Challenge, completing 1,350km in a month to fund summer care kits for 100 people in need. They became MQI's logistics partner offering practical and meaningful support.

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Frontline (UK): UK-based homelessness charity providing outreach, health, and drug and alcohol services. Comparable operating model to MQI but geographically focused on the UK.

Direct peers

• Depaul Ireland: Operates low-threshold services for people affected by homelessness and addiction in Dublin and other Irish cities. Offers frontline services, food, and harm reduction that directly overlap with MQI's Open Access Centre.
• Peter McVerry Trust: Irish housing and homelessness charity providing emergency accommodation, transitional housing, and social integration supports. Comparable to MQI in homeless-services mission and Dublin footprint.
• Focus Ireland: National homeless charity in Ireland providing emergency accommodation, prevention services, and housing supports. Directly comparable to MQI's homelessness services and competes for the same donor and HSE funding pool.
• Extern Ireland: All-island social justice charity providing services for vulnerable people including addiction, homelessness, and youth justice. Comparable to MQI's addiction and youth programming.
• Simon Communities of Ireland: Ireland's largest homeless charity operating emergency shelters, transitional housing, and tenancy sustainment services across the country. Comparable in mission, scale, and donor base to MQI.
• Coolmine Therapeutic Community: Irish addiction treatment charity providing residential rehab, community-based detox, and aftercare programmes. Directly comparable to MQI's High Park and St Francis Farm residential pathways.
• Crosscare: Dublin-based social services agency providing homeless services, youth services, and family support. Comparable to MQI's regional service portfolio and HSE-funded operating model.

Regional players

• Threshold (Ireland): National housing charity focused on tenancy protection and private rented sector access. Adjacent to MQI's housing mission but specialised in housing rights rather than direct service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• HSE (Health Service Executive): Ireland's national health and social care provider, which directly commissions MQI's services and operates parallel addiction and homeless services. Acts as both funder and indirect competitor/partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MerchantsQuayIR
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MerchantsQuayIreland
• Facebookfacebook.com/MerchantsQuayIR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merchants-quay-ireland
• Instagraminstagram.com/merchantsquayir

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merchants Quay Ireland