Helen McEntee

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has announced a number of measures to crack down on anti-social behaviour following the ramming of a garda car in Cherry ...

High-visibility patrols will be stepped up in problem areas, including in the city centre. “There are fantastic people living in this community, working in this community who just want to get on with their lives and support those who need their help.” Speaking on Friday evening in Cherry Orchard, Ms McEntee condemned what happened in Cherry Orchard and said a “comprehensive and coordinated” response will be put in place to tackle this behaviour.

However, she denied these actions are being taken solely because a Garda car was involved in this incident, unlike previous allegations of antisocial behaviour ...

This is the long term plan, the whole focus is community safety in an area dealing with these kind of issues. “They haven’t been ignored,” she said. “I have to again condemn what happened on Monday night,” she said. “We have work in the pipeline to be able to work with the very large online providers we have in this country,” she said. “We’ve been speaking to local gardaí who for some months now have been working with the local community responding to these type of incidents, and trying to put in place the most effective policing response.” “It is utterly unacceptable that this community should have to put up with this type of behaviour, or that members of the Garda Síochána would be treated in this way.”

Helen McEntee unveiled plans to crack down on anti-social problems in Cherry Orchard.

“But beyond that we support the community in making sure that the right type of resources, the right type of supports, and the right type of comprehensive community response is in place. “We’ve been speaking to local gardai, who for some months now have been working with the local community, responding to these types of incidents, and trying to put in place the most effective policing response, while at the same time working with the community groups to try and get to the crux and behind what is actually happening,” Ms McEntee added. “But the reason that I’m here today is to work with the community to try and respond and ensure that there is a criminal justice response, that we have the gardai and the resources to support that the community need to respond to these types of issues.