A family home in north Dublin has been turned into “a HQ for a drug cartel” in recent weeks after the people living there were intimidated, a TD has told the Dáil.
Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe has described homes being petrol bombed in the area, threats being issued by gangs on social media with the local community "wondering what is coming next".
Mr McAuliffe, who represents Dublin North-West, which covers the areas of Finglas, Ballymun, Whitehall and Santry, noted there was "another person" murdered in his constituency at the weekend, which was being reported as a "gangland assassination".
James Whelan (29), a father of one, was found shot dead on a street in Finglas in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“This follows weeks in which other people have been murdered following the discharge of an illegal firearm,” Mr McAuliffe said on Tuesday.
“We’ve had homes that have been petrol bombed or engaged in an arson attacks, we’ve had a kidnapping, we’ve had social media platforms that are being used to issue threats by rival gangs.
“We had one family home where the people were intimidated so that that home could be turned into a HQ for a drug cartel with retrofitting of bullet proof glass and CCTV.
“There are many people in my community wondering what is coming at them next with these kind of rival gangs.”
Mr McAuliffe asked the Taoiseach could he raise the issues with the Garda Commissioner and said “more resources would benefit”.
Mr Martin thanked the TD for "articulating so vividly the horrors of what's occurring in certain locations across the city" and described Mr Whelan's murder as "shocking".
He said at Government level “we will do everything we can”, while gardaí and the Minister for Justice was doing everything they could “to stamp out this criminality”.
