Local politicians have criticised a wave of arson attacks on playgrounds in the Darndale area.
The final weekend of September saw another playground destroyed in an arson attack.
Local independent TD Barry Heneghan said, “residents, community groups and local representatives have fought hard for investment in playgrounds, pitches and public amenities, only to see some of these facilities damaged or destroyed.”
The Dublin Bay North TD said, “I am calling for increased Garda patrol and CCTV at high-risk community facilities and stronger accountability for those responsible.”
Heneghan said, “this is not just an attack on a playground; it is an attack on the whole community. It is our neighbours, families and children who ultimately lose out when facilities like this are destroyed.”
Fellow Dublin Bay North TD Denise Mitchell said the arson attack was “absolutely disgraceful”
The Sinn Féin TD said, “our communities and our children should not have to put up with this.”
“All those responsible are doing nothing but attacking their own community,” she said.
Artane-Whitehall councillor John Lyons said the arson attacks on community facilities are simultaneously “hard to understand” and endemic of wider societal issues.
The Independent Left councillor said, “I believe we need to ask who would do this and why?”
“We need answers and we need to respond,” he stated.
Lyons noted that the arson attack is the latest of a number of issues impacting Darndale Park.
Councillor Lyons noted that open drug dealing takes place in the area, and the presence of several roaming horses has resulted in the cancellation of the Darndale Parkrun and has destroyed the home pitch of Darndale FC Juniors.
Lyons said, “we know that the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael government has directed an over-stretched and under-resourced police force into Dublin City centre to look after EU diplomats, which means our communities are losing out on having a visible Garda presence and support when needed.”
“Whilst Gardaí who should be serving our communities are in town in huge numbers baby-sitting barriers, there is a sense of abandonment in certain communities,” he said.
Lyons called the situation “completely unacceptable” and “needs to change.”
“Our communities are more important than EU politicians,” he said.
Lyons noted that the response to the arson attacks and general anti-social behaviour needs to be tackled at a sociological level.
“We need a much wider response than just the Gardaí; we need to understand why someone would do this, what is going on in their lives that sees them setting fire to a local playground,” he said.
Lyons said, “the youth services in the area do incredible work in the community but need more government support; the local schools do incredible work but need more government support.”
“Is the destruction of the playground part of a deliberate strategy of local drug dealers to make the park a No-Go Area? Or was the fire started by someone motivated by something else or nothing at all but a bit of fun, as they see it?”
Lyons said that the people who are carrying out the attacks “have to be held responsible for what they have done and we need to know why they did it.”
“Everyone in the community deserves to be and feel safe, to have good quality facilities in their local area that they can enjoy free from the fear of events like this.”
Councillor Lyons said, “we need a considered, consistent and comprehensive response to the destruction of the playground and the many reasons that may have informed its occurrence.”