DRUGS are being sold openly in towns around West Cork, an Ireland South MEP has said.
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher said garda resources were urgently needed to address crime, adding that Cork was being ‘starved’ of resources.
Mr Kelleher said this message was coming across to all election candidates on the doorsteps.
‘As I and other election candidates hit the streets campaigning, one of the biggest concerns being raised is the abject lack of respect on our streets by certain elements of society,’ he said.
‘People regularly see open drug dealing, rampant shoplifting and aggressive anti-social behaviour on city streets and also more recently in towns and villages in rural communities.
‘To make matters worse, despite all the pronouncements from the Garda Commissioner about more gardaí being put on the beat, you will not see a regular garda presence in our communities, especially outside the main city centres.’
Mr Kelleher said that at the end of March 2024, there was a total force strength of 14,058. Cork with a population of nearly 580,000, has just 1,271 gardaí.
‘On a very simple comparison of numbers to population, Cork should have at least 1,600 gardaí. This is a deficit of over 300 members in our city and rural towns.’
Mr Kelleher said the government needs to find better ways of enticing people into joining the gardaí and clearer guidance on their role in society.
‘Many serving gardaí feel they do not have the powers and the political back-up needed to do their job properly,’ he said.
