Dáil hears it was ‘by the grace of God’ no one hurt after child fired gun

By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association

It was “by the grace of God” no one was injured when an 11-year-old child picked up a discarded gun and fired it in Dublin on Tuesday, the Tánaiste has said.

Simon Harris was echoing the words of Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon who raised the incident during Leader’s Questions on Thursday, who said the incident should be a “watershed moment”.

Harris outlined how a man armed with a handgun was seen near Ballymun Garda Station, where a second man was being detained.

Both are suspected of being involved in an “ongoing feud”, he said.

The Dáil heard how, as Gardaí approached the man with the gun, he ran away and threw the gun into bushes as he was pursued.

At around 3pm, two children, one aged six and the other aged 11, came across the loaded gun and the older child fired it into the ground.

A short time later two men arrived on an electric bike and collected the firearm.

It has still not been recovered, Harris said, despite “intensive searches” by Gardaí, including armed units.

Two men were subsequently arrested, a man in his 20s and a teenager.

The teenager has been released pending a file being sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

It should be a watershed moment, because Tanaiste, this problem is much deeper than what happened in Ballymun

Discussing the incident, Gannon said: “It is by the grace of God that this child, or no other child in the vicinity, was killed.”

He said it was “a truly terrifying incident” adding: “It should be a watershed moment, because Tanaiste, this problem is much deeper than what happened in Ballymun.”

He said: “Teenagers are being used to distribute drugs the length and the breath of this country.”

A number of reports have found criminal networks in Ireland “deliberately and systematically recruit children below the age of criminal responsibility” he said.

He added this was “not just because they can not be prosecuted, but because the conditions of their birth make them vulnerable to exploitation”.

Gannon said up to 1,000 children at any given time across the state are under the coercive control of criminal adults.

In response, Harris echoed Gannon’s words: “As you say, it was to the grace of God that nobody was injured as well.”

He said the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan is being briefed by Gardaí about the incident and urged anyone with information to come forward.

Harris said a Ballymun Implementation Board was set up in 2024 to “tackle some of the deep-rooted issues that have existed for many years” in the community.

He said €200,000 was provided to help with the running of the board, which he said brings together “social service providers and Gardaí to work together with community leaders, local business leaders”.

Harris said the Government had changed the law in relation to children being coerced into what he described as a “particularly disgusting and heinous” crime.

Fianna Fáil’s Paul McAuliffe, a TD for Dublin North-West, said more Gardaí are needed in the area after the area experienced a number of “significant gangland events” in the last few months.

Harris said: “I take the broader point regarding numbers and Garda resources.

“I can point to some positivity in your area in that in the last while, but I’ll speak to the minister and ask that he liaise with the commissioner.”