People in Dublin’s north inner city feel like they are “living in a state of emergency”, a local councillor has claimed.

In recent years, the problem of crime in the area has been regularly debated in the media and the Government promised an increase in Gardaí on the beat. 

Despite this, Social Democrats Councillor Daniel Ennis said locals feel “neglected by the Guards and the Government”.

“Open drug dealing is taking over the best part of the streets around our community - as well as our main thoroughfares,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.

“This is not side streets; it’s on O’Connell Street, it’s on Talbot Street - right through the length and breadth of the north inner city.”

Cllr Ennis also said scrambler bikes are increasingly becoming a problem and Gardaí seem uninterested in dealing with the issue. 

“These scramblers are ripping around our area - seven days a week almost,” he said. 

“Again, no Garda response.” 

Cllr Ennis said he recently watched scramblers flying up and down the streets in the Seán McDermott Street area for more than half an hour – with no consequences.

International comparison

Cllr Ennis said he does not believe anti-social behaviour is tolerated in other big cities the way it is in Dublin. 

“If this was any other capital city in the world, it wouldn’t be happening first and foremost,” he said. 

“But if it was, the response would be immediate. 

“Could you imagine a scrambler flying down the ramparts in Barcelona? You wouldn’t see it.” 

Two members of An Garda Siochana on duty in Dublin city centre. Image: culliganphoto / Alamy Stock Photo

When asked if a greater Garda presence would help the situation, Cllr Ennis said he sees them on O’Connell Street “from time to time” but rarely do his constituents see them in other parts of the north inner city. 

“We’ve been working and conversing with community Guards but their hands are tied,” he said. 

“We’ve called for a meeting with senior Gardaí - I called for that in the Central Area Committee meeting in July. 

“It was signed off and unanimously voted on by councillors and we’ve yet to get a response.” 

Visibility

In the long-term, Cllr Ennis believes that society cannot “police our way out of this” but said a more visible Garda presence would help reassure locals. 

“In the here and now, people have to feel safe and they don’t feel safe,” he said. 

“In some parts of the city, people feel like they’re living in a state of emergency. 

“They can’t come out of their house at certain times. 

“One resident was telling me that she locked herself in a room for the best part of six hours because there was open drug dealing outside her house.” 

Earlier this year, Justice Minister Helen McEntee acknowledged the inner city had problems but added that “for the whole it is safe”.

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Main image: O'Connell Street. Picture by: Alamy.com