Residents 'in fear' of crime and gangs on Cork's northside 

Communities on the northside of Cork city are being terrorised by teenage gangs, according to Fianna Fáil’s Pádraig O’Sullivan.

It comes following a number of serious incidents, mainly concentrated on the northside of the city, which have occurred in the past week.

The incumbent TD for Cork North Central believes residents are being made to feel unsafe in their own homes.

Mr O’Sullivan said 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.

“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,” he said.

“The number of brutal attacks and killings in the city over the past number of weeks has heightened those fears,” he added.

Citing a lack of Garda resources, Pádraig O’Sullivan said that regular patrols are needed and “one Garda on the beat just doesn’t cut it.” He has also called for 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,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“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,” he concluded.