The scenes in Ballyfermot last night were “nothing less than a challenge to the authority of the State,” Shane Coleman has warned.

The Newstalk Breakfast presenter was speaking after video footage of joyriders ramming a Garda car in Cherry Orchard was shared widely across social media.

The Garda Commissioner has described the incident as 'disgraceful' and 'very concerning', while local representatives say the community is being terrorised by a small minority of people.

Shane said the scenes were ‘outrageous and utterly unacceptable’.

“I would venture to suggest that if this happened in Clontarf or in Clonskeagh, there would be uproar about this.

“It would be on the front page of the papers, the Dáil would be up in arms about it and it needs to be same for the people of Cherry Orchard as well.

“There are lots and lots of ordinary decent people living in that area who must be terrorised by the kind of stuff that went on last night and that is absolutely unacceptable.

“It is also absolutely unacceptable that members of An Garda Síochána are exposed in the way they were last night.

“I mean who would do the job that those gardaí had to do last night driving into that area. Utterly exposed by an absolute minority and it is nothing less than a challenge to the authority of the State.”

Terrifying scenes in Cherry Orchard tonight. I hope it serves as a wake up call. This community has been ignored for too long. Urgently needs resources & support from Government & senior Gadaí.

— Cllr. Daithí Doolan (@DaithiDoolan) September 19, 2022

The footage shows two cars speeding through a housing estate in the early evening with one performing a high-speed handbrake turn while a crowd gathers to watch.

As a Garda car arrives with flashing lights, both cars continue to drive erratically, refusing to stop for the officers.

One of the cars drives directly at the gardaí before turning away and speeding off, before the second car rams the Garda vehicle head-on.

Authority

Shane said the scene highlights the social deprivation in the area – with a carrot and stick needed to tackle the criminality.

“There are issues, obviously, in that area,” he said. “These things don’t spring out of nothing and that has to be tackled.

“There is a need for carrot. There is a need to try and help people in those areas overcome disadvantage but there is also a need for the stick as well.

“The State cannot shirk this challenge. It is a direct challenge to its authority and it is a challenge, I say, that has to be met.”

Cherry Orchard

He said the Garda Commissioner must now set out how he is going to protect his officers.

“We can’t have a situation where there is one Garda car trying to deal with a situation like that,” he said. “There has to be some kind of rapid response.”

The Newstalk presenter said the footage made his “blood boil.”

“The primary thing I felt was absolute sympathy for the people living in that area who are subjected to that kind of thuggery,” he said.

“What must life be like living when you are subjected to that kind of thuggery.”