Mayo TD describes drugs crime as 'a national crisis'

A MAYO TD has described drugs crime as 'a national crisis.'

Deputy Lisa Chambers stated: "We are losing the battle in the war on crime and our government has turned a blind eye to the national scale of the crisis.

"The brutal depravity of the recent Drogheda murder shows that ordinary policing is inadequate in combatting what has become a national scourge."

Deputy Chambers said the incidence and audacity of the rising level of rural crime have left farm families, small businesses and isolated townlands living in fear from day to day.

"We need a properly resourced Garda Siochana to deal with rising crime and to tackle criminality before the battle is completely lost.

"We need to reverse the depletion of garda resources which has seen the number assigned to the Garda Drugs Unit decline from 258 in 2015 to 232 in 2019."

Deputy Chambers said that, in office, Fianna Fàil would resource the armed units of An Garda Siochana to work on a 24/7 basis, and would introduce 24 hour round the clock surveillance of known gangland figures.

The party would also ensure full implementation of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006, which makes it a criminal offence up to life imprisonment to direct gangland crime.

"Only two people have been charged with that offence since the Act was introduced," she added.