144. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will report on his engagements in relation to organised crime activities in Limerick; the initiatives being undertaken by his Department to ensure public safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6117/26]
Sentiment score: 0.24
The Minister should be aware that criminal feuding in parts of Limerick in recent weeks has seen an escalation in violence. In recent weeks, this violence has escalated in dramatic proportions, particularly in Ballinacurra Weston and surrounding areas. For fear of criminal retaliation, much of this violence has gone unreported. However, among the most recent incidents, there have been gun and arson attacks on homes and cars, assaults on people in the area and threats of violence against and intimidation of others. I am extremely concerned for the residents of the area. Many will recall the violent criminality that plagued Limerick in the early 2000s. Without robust intervention, I fear we are not far from returning to those very dark days.
Sentiment score: -0.56
I spoke on the CAST teams earlier. I have also been in contact with stakeholders in the community and I assure the Minister of State the concerns I raised with him today are echoed by most people in the community. Frustrations are building and many feel the Garda response has not been adequate enough against these criminals. Having said that, I believe the gardaí in Limerick are doing the job in some of the most challenging of circumstances, and more supports and resources are needed for them. I recently spoke at length to people with first-hand and direct knowledge of this feud. They are good people who have given so much good to the community. They noted families are sleeping in shifts, whereby some sleep while others guard the front door and monitor CCTV cameras. They do so due to the threat of petrol bombs or worse being fired or lobbed at their homes. This is no way for anybody to live. I have also been contacted confidentially by several local parents who are not letting their children go to school because they are worried they may be injured, beaten up or whatever on the way to school. The violence, drug dealing and organised crime is not exclusive to this part of the city but we are seeing a pattern in Limerick. It is a pattern that sees gardaí intensifying their efforts in one area, leading to re-emerging criminal elements in other parts of the city. For instance, when we focus on Ballinacurra, Weston, People's Park, St. Mary's Park and Garryowen, they will have zero Garda presence.
Sentiment score: -0.21
I have been asked by the community to specifically ask the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, to visit the area and to talk to the local chief superintendent and community leaders. We are seriously concerned about what is going on in the area and I do not think anybody is grasping the severity of what we are worried about. The Garda knows exactly who is involved and who is gaining from this misery. I appreciate that the gathering of information and investigations need to be thorough, but the community must see a robust response. Without one, I fear we are seeing escalation and a deep frustration within the community and, unfortunately, we might see the loss of life. We in Limerick have had some challenges with criminality in a small minority of areas that can be fixed. These are areas with good people and are communities which utterly despise the organised crime gangs and their criminality. They just want to get on with and live their lives. The tentacles of criminality spread to all the communities, from urban to rural and urban centres to suburban towns. As I said earlier, our gardaí do a difficult job and crucial work every day as they serve and protect communities, and they have my full support in doing that. We have seen from previous operations, such as Operation Copóg, that when the resources and funding are put into Limerick and when the resources are put in to the Garda and it is supported properly, they work well in combating the type of organised activity I have been talking about and, more important, the force has the support of the community. I ask the Minister to visit the area and get involved.
Sentiment score: 0.01