Violent anti-social behaviour has "clearly" grown in Dublin in recent months, it has been claimed, as further calls for dedicated transport police have been made.
Dedicated transport police are needed in the capital following the homophobic assault on Dublin Bus over the weekend that left a man bloodied, John Lahart has said. The Fianna Fail TD said that the public needs safe transport and that attacks are becoming all too commonplace on the bus, Luas, and train.
Mark Sheehan, 26, ended up in Tallaght University Hospital after the attack and gardai are investigating. Deputy Lahart said such attacks "cannot be tolerated".
He said: "An inclusive Ireland is one where crimes motivated by prejudice, hate or bigotry are not tolerated and work is ongoing as a priority to legislate against hate crime and hate speech, to ensure that Ireland is fair, safe and inclusive for all. Unfortunately, such incidents have become far too commonplace, particularly on our public transport services.
"The safety and security of passengers and staff must be paramount. It is in the public good in every sense that public transport is used, embraced and an attractive option for the travelling public. It needs to be affordable, efficient but also safe."
Random attacks, organised fights and hate-motivated assaults are among the issues on our streets. And groups are using public transport to travel outside the city and "wreak havoc" on communities.
Read more: Young man fighting for life after Luas assault with 'fear' on streets of Dublin
That's according to Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty despite her party colleague Barry Ward claiming earlier today that Dublin is safer than most European cities. Senator Doherty was backing up comments made by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris who said that current recruitment targets are not sufficient.
She said: “There has been a growth in violent anti-social behaviour on our streets in recent months, and here in Dublin it is very clear to see. We are hearing near-weekly reports of random attacks on individuals – including hate-motivated assaults – as well as organised fights between gangs of thugs.
"It should never be the case that our people should be afraid to walk the streets of our towns and cities, nor that there should be ‘no-go’ areas. It would be simply incorrect to assume that these issues are unique to the city centre, because we also know that anti-social behaviour to spreading to suburban towns and villages.
"Communities across the Dublin region talk about gangs hopping on trains to quieter suburbs and wreaking havoc. My office is in Skerries and I have heard shocking stories of recent anti-social behaviour and violent crime from families who want to ensure their town remains a safe place for their children. We need to nip this in the bud, and we need to do it now."
Read next:
- Man arrested as MDMA worth over €100,000 found during raid of Dublin business
- Ireland weather: Lightning tracker shows how far away it is and when it happened
- An Bord Pleanala report referred to Director of Public Prosecutions
- Late Late Toy Show 2022: How to apply for your child to participate on live broadcast
- DSPCA runs out of water as supply cut due to 'pump interruption'
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
