Cllr. Éilis Ryan
Dublin Workers’ Party Councillor Éilis Ryan (North Inner City) has called for the Minister for Justice to mandate an immediate, emergency reversal of cutbacks to community development services in the Northeast Inner City, in the wake of the latest shooting in the area, at Avondale House on Tuesday morning.
Cllr. Ryan said “The entire budget allocated to community development is just €650,000 – less than a fifth of the €5 million which the Minister for Justice has promised for a new armed policing unit. This is what is left following cuts of 38% in 2015, and some 40% cumulative cuts over the previous six years.”
The Workers’ Party councillor for the North Inner City said; “Residents of the areas worst affected by drugs-related crime know that armed gardaí alone can never prevent incidents such as yesterday’s. So let us look at the evidence of what works, and immediately reverse the cuts to community development in the inner city which we have faced since 2009.”