Mary Lou McDonald has said she watches the current crime spree in Drogheda with “growing dread".
The Sinn Féin leader was speaking as politicians rounded on the Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, for not giving enough resources to the gardaí to tackle the scourge.
Ms McDonald has now added to that rising tide of criticism.
She also said that gang-busting methods used in Dublin need to be extended to the County Louth town, which is nearly a city in its own right.
Mr Flanagan was getting it in the neck yesterday from rank-and-file gardaí at a Garda conference in Killarney yesterday.
Many angry gardaí there were letting their feelings known about shortages of proper equipment and resources for good policing.
Ms McDonald said that her party has been raising the issue of a lack of resources for gardaí in Drogheda for a long time.
“We’re watching what’s happening in Drogheda with growing dread and dismay.
“I think there’s been about 70 incidences between petrol bombings and random shootings over the past number of months.
Gardai investigating after man, 20s, stabbed in Drogheda, Co Louth
“My colleague, Imelda Munster (Sinn Féin TD for Louth), has consistently raised this issue in the Dáil.
“She has consistently raised the issue that gardaí are not efficiently or appropriately resourced to deal with this threat, which is a threat to people’s safety and wellbeing in their own community.
“I know that the Minister for Justice has been heavily criticised by An Garda Síochána.
“I think that criticism has been well-warranted and I think it’s now time to step up to the plate and to ensure that people feel safe walking down the streets and within their own community.”
Ms McDonald then spoke about how growing criminality is not just a problem in Drogheda, but in other urban areas too, like Dublin’s north inner city, which she represents.
“I know that within the north inner city we’ve had our own experiences of what’s called gangland clashes and violence.
“It was necessary there to take an inter-agency approach to try and get to grips with this and I think a similar approach is needed for Drogheda.”
Ged Nash demands gardai to be given extra resources to take on feuding drug gangs in Drogheda
