Cars burned out in Ferbane area in drugs intimidation incidents
‘He said the drug gangs are targeting farming families because they know they have the assets to sell to pay off the drug debts’
A LOCAL councillor told a recent meeting that the plague of drug intimidation is alive and well in many parts of rural Ireland, including his own area, the Ferbane region.
Cllr Hughie Egan told the October monthly meeting of Offaly County Council that drug intimidation is “a serious issue” in rural Ireland.
“We recently had another three incidents in my area,” he said, “where two cars were burned out and there was a serious Anti-social behaviour crime.”
The Councillor said a few of the Councillors recently attended a DRIVE programme in Edenderry. “We found it very helpful and informative,” he remarked. (The DRIVE programme stands for Drug Related Intimidation & Violence Engagement. It is an interagency project in Ireland funded by the Department of Health to address drug-related intimidation and associated violence).
Cllr Egan pointed out that many of his constituents are very worried by the rise in drug intimidation crime. “Many people, many of my constituents, are telling me they are very concerned. Some are saying to me, Where is this going to stop? We had the terrible tragedies in Edenderry and Waterford. We are very concerned that a similar tragedy could happen somewhere in rural Ireland as well.”
Cllr Egan added that during one of the car burning crimes in the Ferbane area the owner of the car, a farmer, “got into his tractor and pushed the burning car into the field. If he hadn't done that his house could have caught fire as well.” He said the drug gangs are targeting farming families because they know they have the assets to sell to pay off the drug debts.
The Councillor talked about the graduation ceremony at the Templemore training college where 207 new recruits were officially sworn into An Garda Síochána. He pointed out that while this allocation brought the total national force to a historic high of 14,825 sworn members, there was only one new Guard assigned to Offaly, where he will be stationed in Tullamore. “I was very disappointed to learn that there will only be one new Guard for Offaly. We are really out on a limb here in Offaly and we need a lot more new Guards, not just one.” The Councillor reiterated that he is really worried about the escalation in drug-related crime in rural areas. “Where is it going to stop? It really seems that we are heading towards a disaster.”
He said he has often talked to those people who are being intimidated by drug criminals. "They are sometimes elderly people, they are sometimes hard working people, they are sometimes living out in the countryside, and they are suffering through no fault of their own but because members of their family, both immediate and extended, have got into trouble, have accrued drug debts with gangs.”
Cllr Egan added that the Council should write to the Minister for Justice “and say we are disappointed that only one new Garda has been appointed to Offaly.”
He told the Councillors that he appreciated this was a negative subject and perhaps some of them mightn't be comfortable talking about it, “but I wouldn't be representing my own constituents if I didn't raise this matter in the Chamber today.”
Cllr Claire Murray Smale said the fallout from the tragedy in Edenderry is still “very raw.” She said she points people who need help to the various services. “There are very good services out there to help people, there are various ways of keeping people on the straight and narrow. This affliction is a big issue in our society. I agree that we should write to the Minister. When drug intimidation occurs it is devastating for families and communities.”
Cllr Aoife Masterson said she was personally aware of the impact these crimes can have on families and extended families. “It is clear that one new Guard is not enough. A lot of this happens out in the country but a lot of it happens in housing estates, in our own Council housing stock. I have constituents who are frightened out of their minds because of what happened in Waterford, because they are seeing the same progression of steps in their own area, including the step of escalation of the burned out cars.”
“There is support for people there,” said Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick, “but sometimes the support is not enough. If you bring the intimidation issue to the Guards because you are a victim of it, the Guards will say to you, Are you willing to stand up in court against these people? I think the legislation needs to be changed. Homes are being damaged, cars are being burned because of the issue of drug debts. It's a huge problem in many parts of our communities, including amongst our farming families. The drug dealers are selling drugs to many people in rural Ireland, to many farmers in rural Ireland.”
Cllr Fergus McDonnell said many regular drug users are married with kids and in stable jobs. “They are not collapsed on the streets. They are feeding the problem. I think the courts don't deal hard enough with the people who are convicted.”
“There is a complete lack of respect for life in these drug gangs,” remarked Cllr John Leahy. “We are probably only seeing a small percentage of the intimidation that's going on. In Renua ten years ago we called for another prison to be built and I think that still holds true today. The fear of God needs to be put into these people. I think if this type of terrible crime happens again people will take to the streets.”
Cllr Shane Murray said Thornton Hall needs to be built. The Thornton Hall prison project was first mooted by the government all the way back in 2004. “We are gone way too soft on crime,” he commented.