North city parks becoming virtual no-go areas for council workers due to drug crime, TD says
THREE DUBLIN CITY parks are in danger of not being maintained as council workers say they are too dangerous to work in, a TD has claimed.
Gary Gannon, the Social Democrats justice spokesman and a Dublin Central TD since 2020, has highlighted significant problems with violence and intimidation by young men engaged in the drugs trade in the north inner city.
Speaking to
The Journal
, Gannon
said that while extra gardaí have been deployed to the city centre successfully, he believes that there is a knock-on effect that local parks and communities in his area are under-policed.
It was announced in March that a large number of gardaí, fresh from their training in Templemore, were being sent to Dublin to perform high-visibility patrols in the city.
However Gannon says that a number of north city parks – Mountjoy Square, Diamond Park and Liberty Park – remain no-go areas for locals at certain times of day as a result of lack of policing. Anti-social behaviour in the three parks has been an issue for years, Gannon said, but the issue has been exacerbated in recent months.
He said there are also problems with anti-social behaviour along the Grand Canal, running between North Wall and Croke Park.
He said in those areas and in flat complexes around the area there is a significant problem with open drug dealing and drug-related intimidation.
'It doesn't seem to be policed,' Gannon said.
'There definitely has been an improvement in the commercial city centre. There's a lot more guards in there, but the displacement from other areas is being felt by communities in the north inner city.
'There is a lot of violence, open drug dealing that just seems to be tolerated, particularly in the park areas, and it's having a genuine impact,' he said.
Gannon said that he and other local leaders have informed the gardaí and the Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan about the issue.
'We have a scenario now where council workers are telling us they won't go into the parks,' he said.
Gannon said that he and other local people believe that there may be a policy by gardaí to contain the issues in local communities.
Garda sources
The Journal
spoke to said that it is simply an issue with numbers of gardaí – and that there are simply not enough available to police the areas mentioned by the TD.
Advertisement
Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Drug intimidation
While there is still drug debt intimidation, Gannon said that it has evolved and that now people who are moving drugs around the city are not being paid by gangs but instead are being forced to do it to pay off money owed.
He said there is also a significant problem of young men and boys on scooters and scramblers who are moving drugs around the city.
'It's definitely got worse, but it's also got a lot more insidious.
'The guards have done very, very significant work in terms of breaking up the idea of the gangs but that has led to them innovating and they're having kids operating as drug mules – they're having people in their debt operating as drug mules.
'The gangs are no longer shooting at each other, and the guards should be commended for that, but the product they were fighting over in the first place is still there.
'Now the sale of that product is being done by people who are in very, very vulnerable situations – they are being exploited and groomed,' he said.
Gannon called on O'Callaghan to treat the issue 'as if it was something that was happening in his own constituency over in Dublin 4″.
Mountjoy Square, Dublin.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Drive programme
At a recent appearance before the Oireachtas justice committee Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon spoke about the measures gardaí are employing.
'We certainly have patrols all throughout the city from a family engagement standpoint, with respect to drug related intimidation.
'We know that many of these cases aren't reported, and I just want to signal that the Drive Program has just been released, where families have an opportunity that they can come to us if needs be, but oftentimes they're using other methods, and it's a great way for them to get help and support,' she said.
The Drive Project (Drug Related Intimidation & Violence Engagement) is an interagency project to respond to the issue.
The programme is funded by the Department of Health through its drug initiative and is designed to be a holistic response.
O'Callaghan has, in the past, called for more gardaí in Dublin and also said that new technology is needed to better police the streets. He has also said there must be more robust work on knife crime.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
7 hours ago
- The Journal
North city parks becoming virtual no-go areas for council workers due to drug crime, TD says
THREE DUBLIN CITY parks are in danger of not being maintained as council workers say they are too dangerous to work in, a TD has claimed. Gary Gannon, the Social Democrats justice spokesman and a Dublin Central TD since 2020, has highlighted significant problems with violence and intimidation by young men engaged in the drugs trade in the north inner city. Speaking to The Journal , Gannon said that while extra gardaí have been deployed to the city centre successfully, he believes that there is a knock-on effect that local parks and communities in his area are under-policed. It was announced in March that a large number of gardaí, fresh from their training in Templemore, were being sent to Dublin to perform high-visibility patrols in the city. However Gannon says that a number of north city parks – Mountjoy Square, Diamond Park and Liberty Park – remain no-go areas for locals at certain times of day as a result of lack of policing. Anti-social behaviour in the three parks has been an issue for years, Gannon said, but the issue has been exacerbated in recent months. He said there are also problems with anti-social behaviour along the Grand Canal, running between North Wall and Croke Park. He said in those areas and in flat complexes around the area there is a significant problem with open drug dealing and drug-related intimidation. 'It doesn't seem to be policed,' Gannon said. 'There definitely has been an improvement in the commercial city centre. There's a lot more guards in there, but the displacement from other areas is being felt by communities in the north inner city. 'There is a lot of violence, open drug dealing that just seems to be tolerated, particularly in the park areas, and it's having a genuine impact,' he said. Gannon said that he and other local leaders have informed the gardaí and the Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan about the issue. 'We have a scenario now where council workers are telling us they won't go into the parks,' he said. Gannon said that he and other local people believe that there may be a policy by gardaí to contain the issues in local communities. Garda sources The Journal spoke to said that it is simply an issue with numbers of gardaí – and that there are simply not enough available to police the areas mentioned by the TD. Advertisement Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Drug intimidation While there is still drug debt intimidation, Gannon said that it has evolved and that now people who are moving drugs around the city are not being paid by gangs but instead are being forced to do it to pay off money owed. He said there is also a significant problem of young men and boys on scooters and scramblers who are moving drugs around the city. 'It's definitely got worse, but it's also got a lot more insidious. 'The guards have done very, very significant work in terms of breaking up the idea of the gangs but that has led to them innovating and they're having kids operating as drug mules – they're having people in their debt operating as drug mules. 'The gangs are no longer shooting at each other, and the guards should be commended for that, but the product they were fighting over in the first place is still there. 'Now the sale of that product is being done by people who are in very, very vulnerable situations – they are being exploited and groomed,' he said. Gannon called on O'Callaghan to treat the issue 'as if it was something that was happening in his own constituency over in Dublin 4″. Mountjoy Square, Dublin. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Drive programme At a recent appearance before the Oireachtas justice committee Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon spoke about the measures gardaí are employing. 'We certainly have patrols all throughout the city from a family engagement standpoint, with respect to drug related intimidation. 'We know that many of these cases aren't reported, and I just want to signal that the Drive Program has just been released, where families have an opportunity that they can come to us if needs be, but oftentimes they're using other methods, and it's a great way for them to get help and support,' she said. The Drive Project (Drug Related Intimidation & Violence Engagement) is an interagency project to respond to the issue. The programme is funded by the Department of Health through its drug initiative and is designed to be a holistic response. O'Callaghan has, in the past, called for more gardaí in Dublin and also said that new technology is needed to better police the streets. He has also said there must be more robust work on knife crime. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
7 hours ago
- The Journal
E-scooters, motorbikes and a chainsaw seized by gardaí during day of searches across south Dublin
NEARLY 40 E-SCOOTERS WERE seized in a sweeping garda operation across south Dublin this morning, as part of a crackdown on electric vehicles linked to serious criminal activity. As part of a coordinated 'day of action' under Operation Meacan, officers carried out 40 searches from 7am in areas around Tallaght, Crumlin, and Terenure. The operation involved community policing units, armed support teams, search units, and a local authority dog warden. Advertisement In addition to the e-scooters, gardaí confiscated 14 electric bikes, five motorcycles, six quad bikes, and a scrambler. They also seized clothing worth an estimated €10,000, as well as illicit drugs, knives, fireworks, and a chainsaw. Operation Meacan targets the use of electric motorbikes and other vehicles in serious crimes including drug dealing, money laundering, firearms transport, and drug-related intimidation. A garda spokesperson confirmed that investigations are ongoing. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘Make sure those clothes are burnt': How relatives aided Ashling Murphy killer Jozef Puska
Jozef Puska was soaking wet, ashen-faced, shaking with cold and covered in scratches and bruises when he arrived home about six hours after he had stabbed 23-year-old schoolteacher Ashling Murphy to death. By then, Ashling's violent killing led every news bulletin and flashed across social media. Another man, entirely innocent as it would later become clear, was in a Garda station being questioned on suspicion of her murder. It was obvious to the adults in the Puska household that Jozef (then 31, now 35) had been involved in something terrible. Much of the detail of how Jozef Puska murdered Ashling Murphy came out during his trial in 2023. The trial of his brothers Marek (36) and Lubomir jnr (38), and their wives Jozefina Grundzova (32) and Viera Gaziova (40), over the past few weeks gave insights into the Puskas' lives. Their statements, made in the days after the murder, give further detail of how the killer, his brothers and their wives tried to thwart the Garda investigation. READ MORE On Tuesday, a jury by unanimous verdict found Marek and Lubomir jnr guilty of withholding crucial information from investigating gardaí. Jozefina and Viera were found guilty by majority verdict of burning the killer's bloodstained clothes in an effort to obstruct his prosecution. All of them had pleaded not guilty to all charges. In a voluntary statement two days after Jozef Puska killed Ms Murphy, Marek Puska gave details of the family's background, of their moving from Slovakia to Czechia and finally to Ireland. Jozef arrived in Ireland in 2013 and lived in several places before, in 2020, securing a four-bedroom house in Lynally Grove in Mucklagh, Co Offaly, near Tullamore, with his partner Lucia Istokova and their five children. Soon Marek and Jozefina moved in with their six children and Lubomir jnr and Viera with their three. Marek spoke in glowing terms of their life together in Mucklagh. 'We don't feel alive without each other, we're so close,' he said. None of the three men was working. They spent their days sleeping, drinking coffee or beer and going into Tullamore by bike, car or taxi. Marek Puska and Jozefina Grundzova arrive at Central Criminal Court in Dublin during their trial last month. Photograph: Collins Courts Lubomir Puska and Viera Gaziona at the Central Criminal Court. Photograph: Collins Courts 'It was the golden times, the best of times. I swear to God, everyone says they don't see a family like this getting on. We sit and talk and don't argue. Any problems, we talk about it,' said Marek. He said they solved financial problems among themselves and the 'kids are at the top of everything and get everything'. Jozef he described as the 'go-to man' who would help everyone. On January 12th, 2022, Marek said he got up at around 12.30pm, 'the same as every day'. Lubomir jnr, the only person in the house with a car, had earlier taken the children to school, and at 11.30am brought Viera to the dentist in Tullamore. Lubomir jnr would tell gardaí that Jozef declined to go with them because Lucia was cooking scrambled eggs for him. About 30 minutes before Marek got up, Jozef finished his breakfast, drank a cup of coffee and left on his bicycle. Lucia told Marek she didn't know where Jozef had gone and that he had left his phone behind. 'I wanted to be with him,' Marek said, so he went to Tullamore to search for his brother. He said he tried a local casino and other regular haunts where people would know Jozef, but nobody had seen him. Marek returned home but left again, this time with Lubomir jnr, to continue the search. By now concerned about his whereabouts, they checked the emergency department at the hospital. When that turned up nothing, they reported Jozef missing at Tullamore Garda station. It was shortly after 5pm. By now, gardaí in Tullamore were focused on the inexplicable and brutal murder of Ashling Murphy, which had happened at about 3.30pm. Two women out running at Cappincur alerted gardaí after they stumbled across a man attacking Ashling in the briars on the steep bank by the canal towpath. Gardaí arrived within minutes but Jozef Puska had already escaped and there was no chance of saving the young teacher, who had suffered multiple, fatal stab wounds to her neck. Jozef Puska would spend the hours after the attack scrambling through thick briars and into a nearby field, then walking to the N52 and into Tullamore. Shortly after 9pm, he knocked on the door of Rostislav Pokuta, an acquaintance who drove a localschool bus. Pokuta was surprised to see Jozef Puska, who was soaking wet, white in the face and frightened looking. Jozef did not want to talk, other than to say he had been beaten up and to beg for a lift home. Pokuta agreed. In his original statement, Marek Puska did not mention seeing Jozef that night. Four days later he told gardaí he had more to say. Under caution, he said he and Lubomir jnr had been in Tullamore looking for Jozef, when Lubomir jnr got a call saying Jozef was at home and 'in a poor state, beaten up'. After his arrest on January 26th, Marek gave further details. By the time he got home, he said, he was crying because he is sensitive about his brother. He and Lubomir jnr went into Jozef's room and closed the door. The accounts given by Jozef Puska of what had happened were described as 'obvious nonsense' and 'garbled lies' by barristers in the trial. Marek told gardaí that Jozef claimed he was trying to take his own life by stabbing himself in the stomach when a woman came upon him and tried to pull the knife away. Recalling the same story multiple times, Marek gave differing accounts of what Jozef had said. Members of Jozef Puska's family (all with back to camera and hoods) enter a side door of Tullamome courthouse in December 2023. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins In one, he had Jozef in pain on the ground with holes in his abdomen when the woman grabbed his hand and tried to drag it away before he 'cut her ... around the neck area'. In another account, he said Jozef 'struck out and cut her' but said the latter couldn't remember what else he had done. Jozef knew it was 'probably bad' but then didn't want to talk about it any more. In another account, he said Jozef told him he 'cut her with a knife' while they were 'fighting on the ground'. [ Who is Jozef Puska? From anonymous father-of-five to notorious killer Opens in new window ] Marek, crying, told his wife Jozefina that Jozef had 'hurt this woman' and that he 'must have killed her'. Somebody contacted Jozef's parents, who travelled to Mucklagh. Viera Gaziova would later tell gardaí that Jozef's mother was 'visibly afraid' and demanded to know who had beaten up her son. She begged Jozef to go with her back to Dublin. He went with his parents. With Jozef gone to Dublin, the family in Lynally Grove discussed what they had heard while Lubomir jnr poured shots of vodka for everyone. Each would tell gardaí they didn't believe the various accounts that Jozef had stabbed or cut or killed a woman. Viera spoke to gardaí on January 17th and 18th. By then the family had been moved to the Central Hotel in Tullamore. Gardaí wore plain clothes and were careful not to draw attention to the family at the centre of a national outcry. Viera said Jozef had scratches on his face and was 'shaking uncontrollably' when he arrived home on the night of the murder. She said that Lubomir jnr and Lucia went to Dublin the following day, but that Jozef had been admitted to St James's Hospital for surgery on stab wounds to his abdomen. While Jozef convalesced, Viera said Lubomir jnr called her using Facebook Messenger to say that Jozef had asked him to 'make sure that those clothes are burnt'. She knew what he meant. Jozef had left his wet clothes in a bundle on the bathroom floor and Viera had taken them to the kitchen and placed them beside the bin. She said she waited until the following morning after the children had gone to school. She lit the fire using paper and briquettes and let it burn for about an hour, until it was 'very strong'. She took the clothes out of the bag, starting with the tracksuit top and T-shirt, which were stuck together as though Jozef had taken them off in one go. [ Murder of Ashling Murphy 'a monstrous crime that shocked the nation', senior garda says Opens in new window ] Jozefina, who helped by burning the socks, would tell gardaí that she noticed 'blood around the lower half of the T-shirt.' When gardaí asked Viera why she had 'misled the investigation' by failing to mention in her previous statement that she had destroyed evidence, she said: 'We were afraid of the guards when they came. Nothing like this ever happened before. I was afraid I would end up on the street with my children. I was shaking. I didn't want to say because I was afraid the whole family would go against me.'
