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FIANNA FÁIL’S JUSTICE spokesman Niall Collins has called for the establishment of a new Garda unit to tackle public order and anti-social behaviour problems in Dublin city centre.
The party launched a new Bill on the issue today, calling for it to be debated as soon as possible.
“This unit would work directly with Dublin City Council, the Dublin Business Improvement District, local traders and tourism associations,” Collins said.
“At the moment, there is no garda unit solely dedicated to cleaning up the city centre in this way.”
The new unit would be funded from the annual Garda budget, Collins said – noting that the budget had been increased in each of the past two years.
“At the moment the gardaí do not have the support to tackle this on a day to day basis.
“They simply don’t have the manpower, the resources and the political support to target this type of criminal activity to the extent that is needed. People living, working and visiting this city should not be expected to just accept this any longer.”
Currently, he said, Dubliners regularly witnessed “open drug-dealing, open drug-taking every single day of the week, and all the criminality that goes with that”.
Senator Darragh O’Brien, who represented Dublin North in the Dáíl before losing his seat in 2011, said Dubliners were expected by the government to except the current situation as a “normal thing.”
“Dubliners are sick of having to turn a blind eye to the ever increasing prevalence of drugs, alcohol abuse, petty theft, vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.
“The boardwalk along the Liffey has become a drugs haven and it’s extremely upsetting and intimidating for Dubliners and tourists alike.”
Responding to a question from Collins on the issue of a Dublin public order unit last week, Labour junior minister Ann Phelan said the response to crime in the city was coordinated as part of the “Dublin city centre policing plan”.
“This involves a high-visibility uniformed presence on key thoroughfares, as well as the use of undercover gardaí as appropriate.
“Gardaí are maintaining a particular focus on drug dealing and drug related crime, to which the Deputy has referred, in the city centre area.
“A number of targeted city centre policing operations are in place, including Operation Pier, which concentrates on the south quays and Temple Bar areas and Operation Spire which is focused on O’Connell Street and the north inner city.
She added that there was also a “specific public order unit which operates on a reactive basis as the need arises”.
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Any put them where????? Because from what I hear our prisons are like revolving doors……
This tired old nonsense again. If you did your research you’d see that Ireland has one of the strictest prison systems in the world.
We need a dedicated Garda Unit to clean up FF , FG and Labour !!!!!!
Slow day at SF HQ today Kerry?
Geez, do you guys ever get tired creating all these fake twitter accounts in FG ?
Felicia I’m from Belfast, FG have no politicians running up here.
For a guy with an anti gay agenda ,you are looking very camp in that photo…!!
Keith I care for my appearance, that doesn’t mean anything….
Ah Dazzler you’re rubbish.
So would I if I looked like that!!
Now boys behave.
We need a guarda force that will clean up the banks and the dail start from the top down
Bobby the banks did nothing illegal. It was the ordinary taxpayer spending beyond their means that caused the financial crisis. The Irish people owe far more money to the banks than they ever owed to us.
who pissed in youre cornflakes today darren?
Jesus Darren who p!ssed in youre cornflakes today?
Where have I heard this before zero tolerance wasn’t it, zero tolerance for homeless drug addicts none for the banks though
Its a pitty we could nt get the guards that we have to clean up the coruption in the dail and the banks.start at the top makes more sense this country is a joke._.
Darren – SF HQ are in Dublin & Belfast.
You must be very near The Falls HQ in Beal Feirste – why don’t you visit it ?
Great work going on there !
Down here in Kerry , we have but the beauty of Kerry !!!!
It’s Sammy AnMadra lads. Don’t feed it, it’s beyond pathetic.
A Large drunk/drug tank, lots of small single cells and round up drunks and drug users lock them up for 24 hours or if underage until their parents come to collect them with a nice release charge to go along with that.
Bravo
May be chris if fg and labour stopped creating poverty it would help. these people haven’t any where to call home and may be the dealers cant find good jobs so they have no choice but to deal.The capitalist system isn’t working its just creating more poverty and its going to get worse.Blame the politicians and there banker buddies.This is what happens when business is put before people plain and simple
Police on dinosaurs with gorilla sidekicks. That would clean up Dublin.
We need a dedicated garda unit to clean up Sinn Fein, I’d rather we focus on those in the Dail who should be jail first as they’re supposed to be our elected representatives. There’s too many in that party with a murky past.
Before people green or red thumb Darren’s comment ,could you just click his photo and read his tw*t profile sorry Twitter profile to see his agenda!!
T.w.a.t is censored on the journal but bollox isn’t!
All gearing towards the 1916 celebrations next year all world media and tourist coming ,this shite has being going on for years with the red line luas,board walk ,temple bar etc etc with many of victims sd says revolving door no deterrent ….have garda on gates of leinster house but these 2 on board walk its breaking out of there needed not getting in
1916 is ancient history and completely irrelevant in the context of 21st century Ireland. We might as well be celebrating victory over the Vikings. The whole thing is a farce.
Shut up trolling Muppet
Darren – How are things going in The Yes Vote Campaign ?
You are looking foreword to a great turnout for YES – aren’t you ???
Aiden/patjoe/mrfantastic etc. I see you have a bran new account. You are sad bas##rd.
Dave I’ve no idea who any of those people are though Mr Fantastic would be one way to describe me.
Kerry the over 75s are the demographic most likely to vote and the most likely to vote no. The referendum is taking place during exam time so all those uneducated liberal students won’t be voting!
I’m 64 and very proud to Vote YES along with my Siblings , Wife and Children – so proud of a maturing and inclusive Ireland – United in tolerance and losing its bigotry and bible thumping narrow mindedness , at last !
I’m 64 years old and very proud to Vote YES along with my Siblings , Wife and Children – I’m so proud of a maturing and inclusive Ireland – United in tolerance and losing its old bigotry and narrow mindedness , at last !
I presume, you wholeheartedly agree too ?
I’m 64 years old and very proud to Vote along with my Siblings , Wife and Children – I’m so proud of a maturing and inclusive Ireland – United in tolerance and losing its old bigotry and narrow mindedness , at last !
I presume, you wholeheartedly agree too ?
Complete shitebag. How many phone number’s is that you have already used setting up account’s to troll? You have to be running out soon. Mummy can I set a trolling account on your phone. Go ahead my SPECIAL little man.
Whoever was behind the Aiden Kelly account pulled the wool over many peoples’ eyes. I salute your trolling efforts sir!
He didn’t pull shit on me. Here is a screen shot of Aidens account. https://twitter.com/davedunne12/status/581908733112020992 He is bitter Northy Mong
If people chose to live on top of each other then let them.
anyone remember “Lugs Brannigan ” ?
You’re a gas man ha ha ha..
Another YD jesus freak. Crawl back under your rock with the other cockroaches.
You cannot have dedicated garda units for everything.They let the strength of the force fall and now there is not enough members to fill the units which were increased from four to five on the regular members. Just put enough uniformed gardai onto the streets and let the do the job. There is enough plain clothes members there, just give them back there Uzi’s.
Niall Collins has been sensationalising crime in Dublin the past few weeks. The boardwalks are a lot cleaner than they used to be and being in town you would rarely see street crime, and although there is still the problem of drug users they seem to have been moved away from the central area and main streets.
It’s not perfect but far from as bad as the Fianna Fáil spokesperson is making it out to be.
Problem isn’t Gardai, it’s cack handed sentencing and lack of prison spaces.
I was born in Dublin, I live in Dublin, but I have never set foot on ‘the board walk” because I can see what infests it. It could be a pleasant amenity but it is not.
Well perhaps if ff didn’t ruin the country with their greed and brown envelopes ,the major off these people would be in steady jobs and have future prospects of employment, instead of sitting on the dole getting their kicks with narcotics and criminality.
That would mean taking a few from outside the dail
Someone is looking for a justice ministerial position in the new cabinet after the election methinks.
Not only for Dublin …
Yes yes yes yes yes please!!
How come the media is covering up the Garda drugs scandal in Athlone?
What the f…k are you talking about you muppet?.
@Eugene Comaskey
Ever heard of Google?
Govt and judicial policy is to move away from custodial sentencing as much as feasible. One this policy remains, things will never improve….it actually encourages asb.
Look to Yew York and the change to 3 strikes and how it changed the city.
Get tough across policing and judiciary and support same through cultural acceptance of what is right and refuting what is wrong. .. no do gooders!!!!
The critical mass , which are the ordinary decent folk should be driving the culture of this state… not the people working an angle or stand to make money from a particular situated.
anyone remember “Lugs Brannigan ” ? there was never much trouble in the city center when Lugs went around at night with a van load of other “heavies ” , no mercy shown.
Is this the same government who spend millions on buying a house on Merrion Sq to house drug addicts and drunks? Will they buy Gorse hill next? The purchase of that house stinks of corruption. Follow the money. If they are serious about tackling the drug problem in Dublin the government firstly need to build more prisons or privatise prisons for criminals ie drug dealers in the city centre – each one should get 10 years just like in the us.
“says fianna fail” anyone care what they say
I visit Ireland every year I hate going to Dublin it is full of dirty people on drugs. I will only go out in daylight
Alternatively, move all the drug treatment centers out of the city centre. Job done
Definitely more needs to be done,yesterday at lunchtime I witnessed two young male’s on the luas in town casual as ya like passin around a bag of drugs an opposite them a woman in her twenties smoking heroin.No one stopped her an nobody even flinched at it?? This problem isn’t just Dublin it goes way outside Dublin maybe it’s because it’s the capital an busy tourist city it stands out more
Or Maybe care about other parts of the country too !
Again Darren, I believe you are mentally unstable and should seek help
I think what that Fianna Fail’r MEANT to say was:
” We need a government dedicated to resolving the issues that cause people to turn to criminality and anti social behaviour while at the same time being careful not to overstep the mark and not end up also infringing upon the freedom of eveyrone else.”
Easy mistake to make,
A dedicated Vice Strikeforce. Someone call Mackey, Vendrell, Lemansky, and Gardocki! What’s the worst that could happen?
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