31 January 2020
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central Padraig O’Sullivan says communities on the northside are being terrorised by teenage gangs who are making residents feel unsafe in their own homes.
Deputy O’Sullivan says people have been telling him that they don’t want to go out in the evenings for fear of being approached or attacked by these gangs.
File photo of the Cllr who recently was elected as a TD in a bye election, and is hoping to retain that seat in the upcoming General Election
“I have been out knocking on doors for months and the issue of crime and safety has come up time and time again. People are genuinely scared in their own communities; older people feel particularly vulnerable, with many of them telling me they are too afraid to leave their homes in the evenings”, said Deputy O’Sullivan.
“The number of brutal attacks and killings in the city over the past number of weeks has heightened those fears.
“There is a serious lack of garda resources – one Garda on the beat just doesn’t cut it, we need to see regular patrols keeping an eye on things and giving communities a greater sense of security. We need to see more Gardaí backed up by the necessary resources. We also need tough new laws to crack down on this sort of intimidation and gang culture.
“Fine Gael has allowed this environment of violence and intimidation to escalate under its watch. It has failed to resource the Gardai sufficiently and communities on the northside of Cork and right around the country are suffering as a result.
“Fianna Fáil has put forward proposals to increase Garda numbers across the country to 16,000 and will update legislation to deal with gangland crime. Improved supports and education for vulnerable children and families must also be rolled out in tandem with these legislative changes. Fianna Fáil wants to ensure that people feel safe in their homes and communities and that Gardaí have the resources they need to tackle this gang violence”.
