Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The wider Coolock area is currently in the midst of a cycle of savage violence related to the illegal drugs trade. Last Sunday, a 22 year old postman, Eoin Boylan, was brutally murdered in his garden at Clonshaugh Avenue. This was the fifth murder involving a local feud this year. There were three fatal shootings in May, including that of Jordan Davis, who was shot in front of Our Lady Immaculate school in Darndale as he pushed a four month old baby in a buggy. In January, Zach Parker, aged 23, was shot dead at a gym in Swords.

This cannot be allowed to continue. There can be no normalisation of this activity and children, in particular, cannot be allowed to continue to witness such horrible crimes on a weekly basis. The people of Coolock and the surrounding areas are citizens of this State, like everyone else. They are honest, decent, hard-working people who are raising their families, going to work and getting on with things as best they can. They are entitled to the protections of the State like everyone else but that does not seem to be the case in this situation.

Coolock Garda station needs more resources and personnel to tackle this problem. DMR north is the relevant division and Coolock sub-district is the station involved. A report presented to the joint policing committee, JPC, meeting last month showed an increase in several types of crime, including burglary, which is up 34% on last year and robbery from the person, which is up 200% on last year. The area on the north fringe of the city is experiencing an explosion in population in the Coolock Garda district. There needs to be a reorganisation of Garda districts because of this and the mooted new Garda station for Northern Cross should be given the go-ahead immediately.

I am aware the Minister visited Coolock Garda station in June of this year. Following the Minister's visit, nine probationary gardaí commenced in Coolock. They are most welcome but, of course, this is not enough. We need more community gardaí in the area, as recommended by the task force on policing. This would help to stamp out on-street drug dealing, which would be welcomed by everyone.

The report published this week by the EU drugs agency and Europol makes for frightening reading. Drug-related violence and intimidation are nationwide problems. The report details the three-tiered hierarchy of crime gangs, with the top tier now apparently gone international. I put it to the Minister that not enough is being done to break up these drug rings nationally.

I welcome the publication of new legislation by my colleague, Deputy Curran, in regard to drugs and children. I hope the Government will support the Bill. The proposed legislation will make it a crime to use children in the distribution of drugs, and it would be a criminal offence to buy drugs from a person under the age of 18, or to cause a child to be in possession of drugs for the intent of sale or supply.

Separately, we need to support our young people in their efforts to live active and fulfilling lives, and to avoid being caught up in the devastating drugs culture. There are many youth and sporting organisations and individuals in the Coolock area doing great work with our young people, including the Northside Partnership, the Dublin north east drugs task force, Sphere 17, RASP, the Kilmore West Youth Project, the Kilbarrack Coast Community Programme, and more recently Fr. Bryan Shortall who is the new parish priest of Priorswood. I call on the Government to launch a new initiative in the Coolock area, co-ordinated by the Northside Partnership and the Dublin north east drugs task force, and in consultation with these organisations, to tackle the drugs culture in this area. One could call it a task force or whatever one likes, but we need to take the initiative and we need special measures to be implemented in the Coolock district to tackle this escalating problem.

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