The fire attack on the family home of a Garda in Bay Estate has been condemned by Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú who said the “brazen and shocking” incident was “an attack on the whole community”.

Teachta Ó Murchú, who lives in Bay Estate, attended the scene at Hawthorn Crescent shortly before midnight after emergency services were called by a neighbour at around 11.15pm.

He said;

“I want to utterly condemn the actions of those who started this fire. If this attack was targeted because of the Garda’s work, this is an extremely serious, malicious and shocking attack on a family who are well-known and very well respected in this area.

“This was an incredibly serious incident and, if this Garda’s home was deliberately attacked because of his job, it is a dreadful escalation by criminal elements in Dundalk and the wider area. There have been a number of attacks on Gardaí in Louth over the past 18 months.

“There is no doubt that but for the swift response of the fire service this could have been a lot worse – it was a very large fire.

“It was a blaze that caused damage to the exterior of the house but there was a family inside, who were alerted by a neighbour.

“The community in Bay Estate was ‘deeply worried and concerned’ by the fire, which was ‘an attack on the whole community’.

“This family deserves the support and help of the entire community at this time and anyone who can help should come forward’.

“Anyone who has footage of this incident or CCTV from the area, or who knows who is responsible for this, should contact Gardaí in Dundalk at 042 9388400.”