Sinn Féin Justice Spokesperson Martin Kenny TD has welcomed the report by Dr. Johnny Connolly of the University of Limerick’s Centre for Crime, Justice and Victim Studies, on ‘Building Community Resilience – a response to criminal networks’.

Deputy Kenny said:

“Dr. Connolly’s research, which works within the scope of the criminal justice system and covers the difficulties of breaking the cycle of criminality, is to be welcomed.

“The government and the Gardaí must take its recommendations on board and try to change the situation where whole communities have lost confidence in the policing and criminal justice systems which they can see are not solving their communities problems.

“It is striking that an academic based in Limerick can say with authority that the South Inner City of Dublin has 650 people with links to crime in two criminal gangs.

“He goes on to report that its members are between the ages of 12 and 39 and are loosely categorised as career criminals, street dealers and children being groomed into criminality.

“An Garda Siochána has not responded effectively to this situation and must do so with immediate effect.

“There is no doubt that the overwhelming majority of people in Dublin’s South Inner City want to get on with their lives in peace, free of anti-social behaviour, intimidation and criminality.

“They have a right to live peacefully in their community and there must be an engaging, effective and consultative response to this situation.”