Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has appealed to the Government to change their direction in the fight against open drug dealing and drug related intimidation in South Dublin because the efforts so far just aren’t working.

Speaking after securing a Topical issue debate on the issue in the Dáil last night along with three of the other TDs from Dublin South West, Teachta Crowe said:

“Open drug dealing and drug related intimidation across South Dublin has reached a crisis point.

“No one should be subjected to fear and intimidation just to go to their local shop to buy a newspaper or a pint of milk and having to go past a gang of drug dealers.

“People should be able to go to their local medical centre without having to witness drug dealers buying or selling drug prescription from patients leaving the doctor’s surgery

“My constituents should be able to go to their local post office without having to witness local drug dealers handing out children allowance books to mothers whose family are in a drug debt.

“Children should be able to go school without having to witness drug dealing and drug deals going down at their school gates but this happening.

“Children shouldn’t be going to sleep hungry but this happening in my constituency and many would not be fed only for the Vincent De Paul and food hampers.

“What can I say to the teenager who every day see drug taking, open dealing, obscene displays of wealth, new cars, bikes, high end clothes on those involved in this trade, the multiple holidays, the cash, and the local businesses being bought to launder assets.

“What messages are we sending to these teenagers and communities they come from?

“Residents who are lucky to have a garden should be able sit out without witnessing open drug dealing, cars arriving day and night, constant traffic in and out of drug houses.

“People who are in recovery and rehabilitation should not have to go past the drug peddlers outside the very services where they get their counselling and supports for their addiction. They deserve better. They should be getting our support but it’s not happening.

“Announcements made about drug seizures are next to useless if we don’t see an improvement in people’s lives. Otherwise, it’s just the cost of doing business for these criminal gangs.

“The approach has to change. We need far more substantial support from Government for local drugs taskforces and a new approach to policing, because our efforts so far just aren’t working.”