There is a shoplifting 'epidemic' in Dublin and the Government has its “head in the sand” about it, according to a city centre shop owner.
Shop owners and groups have been appearing before the Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise on Wednesday with the topic of shoplifting centre stage.
Paul Gallagher owns Sketchers stores around the country and the Asics store on Dublin's O'Connell Street.
He told Lunchtime Live the Government "give you the platitudes" but don't understand the severity of the problem.
"We are getting robbed every week on O'Connell Street in the Asics store," he said.
"They're actually stealing to order.
"[It’s] this whole revolving door justice system; if the Guards put him away, the justice system must do something about it.
"The Government are going around with their head in the sand - they need to wake up and smell the coffee and stop giving all the platitudes."
'Tinderbox'
Mr Gallagher said he has warned about the issue previously.
"I was on national radio a year ago saying that there was a tinderbox down around the O'Connell Street, Henry Street, Dublin 1 area," he said.
"They're openly dealing drugs on the streets outside the GPO, there's a shoplifting epidemic - I would call it.
"We need someone to sort out inner-city Dublin.
"I said a year ago that there was a danger of some parts of Dublin becoming close to a no-go zone - and it is now".
Dublin Riots
Mr Gallagher said he was in London when the Dublin riots happened last month.
"It's absolutely shocking, these were just low-life thugs, opportunists that started on some kind of a social media frenzy," he said.
"What they took and how they took it and the damage they inflicted - every single window in the Asics store was broken.
"They're all toughened glass windows; we haven't got the bill in yet, but they've all had to be replaced.
"There's tens of thousands of euro, I'd say, there.
"They cleaned out the whole shop floor of every piece of stock, practically.
"They broke the tills, the drawers, iPads - they just did random havoc on the shop floor".
'Tremendous resilience'
Mr Gallagher said they "made a pact" to re-open the store within a week, which they did.
"The Dublin customer has shown tremendous resilience, because this week our traffic is up 22% on this week last year," he said.
"The Dublin consumer has said to these guys, 'You're not going to rule our lives'... I think it's a great sign of the resilience and tenacity of the Irish/Dublin consumer".
Passers-by survey damage to an Asics shop on O'Connell Street in Dublin city following riots and looting, 24/11/2023. Image: © RollingNews.ieMr Gallagher said several staff "who were non-nationals" were afraid to come into other shops around the capital in the days that followed.
"Our staff, who are our primary concern, have an absolute right to come to work and go from work in safety," he said.
"It comes all back to the justice system and how it's not fit for purpose.
"I don't think there's enough Gardaí on the street, but... even the Gardaí are very disillusioned with the justice system.
"They arrest this guy, they bring him in and all of a sudden he's back out again.
"The Government seriously don't have a grasp on this," he added.
Mr Gallagher said there is a similar element around the Grafton Street area, but nothing on the same scale.
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