I rise deeply saddened by the horrific murders that occurred in Edenderry on Saturday evening. Two innocent lives were taken - Mary Holt, aged 60, and four-year-old Tadhg Farrell. I wish to pay my respects to Mary and Tadhg. May they both rest in peace and may their memory guide our response through this moment of darkness. I visited the scene and it is something I will never forget. A room recently alive with an excited young heart giddy with the joy of Christmas, toys imagined, stockings planned and innocence undisturbed now stands as a haunting reminder of a future robbed. The silence was heavy. The air felt cold carrying the memory of a terror no child should ever face. The people of Edenderry are not just grieving, they are angry, heartbroken, traumatised and confused. I firmly believe the true weight of this tragedy will fall most painfully when the town sees a tiny white coffin - heartbreakingly small - carried to its final premature resting place. In that moment, the darkness of what has happened will become real in a way none of us ever wished to witness. This did not come from nowhere. This is down to drugs and the drugs trade. It is glamorised in music, film, social media and entertainment. It is portrayed as fast money, status, power and designer labels. Hard working people see individuals who have never worked a day in their lives live with the trappings of wealth. They ask themselves, "What am I doing wrong?" Young people see this and believe it is success. However, the truth is not glamour. It is terror, drug debt, threats, children being groomed into criminality. It is soulless, selling misery, addiction and violence for profit. It destroys families, businesses, relationship and hope. It underpins so many of the issues we debate in this Chamber - housing, poverty, mental health, domestic abuse, crime and inequality. The raw reality of that world without filters or fantasy burnt a four-year-old child alive on Saturday. That is the cost; that is the truth. While nothing can undo this tragedy, we can influence what happens next. I have complete confidence in the gardaí. They will find those responsible. When they do, the full weight of the law must land heavily on them. Justice must be seen, and justice must be felt. However, justice must also mean prevention. It must mean restoring confidence, protecting children and rebuilding peace. I sincerely acknowledge the work the Minister for justice is doing in his Department in terms of gardaí recruitment. It matters and I thank him for that. However, given what has happened in Edenderry, I ask the Minister to request the Garda Commissioner to examine the establishment of a dedicated task force for Edenderry focused specifically on dismantling drug-driven criminality. I am not directing but I am respectfully asking that it be considered. People deserve protection in life, not only in law. They deserve peace in their homes and on their streets. They deserve the right to enjoy the simple things like sitting in their own sitting room to watch television without fear. We owe that to Mary and little Tadhg. We owe that to every resident in Edenderry.

Sentiment score: 0.10

I want to acknowledge the wider trauma surrounding this event. Another woman remains in hospital with serious injuries. Her life has been changed forever and she will need support in ways we cannot measure yet. I also want to acknowledge the first responders, gardaí, paramedics and Offaly fire service officers who entered that scene. They faced what most people could not. They acted with courage and humanity and they deserve recognition and support for the trauma they now carry quietly on behalf of us all. Neighbouring families are shaken. Children in the estate are frightened. Homes that should be now filled with Christmas excitement are instead filled with fear and unanswered questions that no parent should ever have to answer. Edenderry Garda station does not operate on a 24-hour basis. Edenderry now needs reassurance through action by way of a visible policing presence and strengthened Garda numbers. Criminals do not operate on office hours and safety should not either. I ask that Edenderry Garda station would operate 24 hours a day. Let this tragedy be the moment that confidence is rebuilt in Edenderry, not the moment when we simply mourn or move on.

Sentiment score: -0.06