Minister for Justice Helen McEntee was inundated with dozens of angry emails and letters from the public after her "walkabout" in Dublin’s north inner city following a spate of violent incidents in the capital.
The overwhelming majority of correspondence was deeply critical of comments made by Ms McEntee that Dublin was a “safe city” with many criticising the lack of garda presence on the streets.
In a handwritten note, one person explained how they had been visiting Dublin’s city centre for decades.
“[I] would not entertain being out alone after 7pm,” they said, “I could easily see addicts shooting up [and] was shocked at the aggression in those gangs of feral youths loitering at so many locations".
Another visitor to the city wrote about being asked by an “addict” why they were not wearing a bikini given that the sun was out.
Their email described how they had been called a “big fat c***” saying the abuse had been a terrible experience and that in their time in Dublin, they had not seen a single garda.
One letter said they had been walking up Talbot Street when a group of men began “aggressively firing glass bottles” at another person.
“There was absolutely NO garda presence … at this time (6.00pm on a Saturday evening) despite the recent attack on an American tourist in this vicinity.”
In an email, one member of the public said anybody who thought Dublin was safe “must be living in cloud cuckoo land”.
It said: “The dogs in the street know that the city centre is a no-go area especially at night due to the fact that crime is rife and the place is awash with drugs.”
Another attacked Helen McEntee for what they claimed was staging a “photo opportunity” around where the Talbot Street attack on US tourist Stephen Termini had taken place.
A local resident, they wrote: “Having lived in the area for five years, I have seen a gradual decline in the safety of the city centre, fuelled by Covid.”
One emailer said they didn’t know “what planet” the Minister for Justice was living on.
Dublin is one of the most dangerous cities I have ever lived in.
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“Dublin is one of the most dangerous cities I have ever lived in,” they wrote, “gangs roaming unchecked, random violence, open drug dealing and taking. There are no police, no foot patrols and zero respect for those few police who venture out".
A pensioner from the West of Ireland said they had ventured into the city for the first time since the pandemic to meet friends in a hotel on Abbey Street.
“There is a laneway adjacent to the hotel and this was full of people shooting up,” they wrote. “In front of the hotel addicts were begging … I finally arrived terrified at the hotel. The porter told me that [this] is daily life.”
Another suggested that those involved in anti-social behaviour were fearless and that their personal details and crimes should be published online for all to see.
“Get tough,” said the email. “Get these animals and their families scared of the consequences – think before they attack someone. They attack – no future and publicly embarrassed.”
One lashed out at the “PR stunt” on Talbot Street and said gardaí should not have been involved in the media opportunity.
“We know the country is on [an] election footing and this is so transparent. A cynical exercise in spin and PR – were you [Minister McEntee] not cringing with embarrassment?”
Another suggested the Justice Minister should consider donning a “baseball cap” and walking anonymously around Dublin’s north inner city to see what it was really like.
They wrote: “It is not just the open drug dealing that is an issue but there are gangs of youths in their black puffy jackets on their scooters who have no regard for anyone. There is also a homophobic element going on too.”
They weren’t the only ones saying Ms McEntee should consider a stroll around the centre of the capital without any police presence.
Another wrote: “Unlike other cities, Paris, New York etc, the cliché, sadly, is true – you NEVER see a guard in Dublin city. NEVER. And I challenge you to take the test. Walk about at ten any night without garda protection.”
A spokesman for the Department of Justice said: “The government is committed to ensuring Dublin is a safe city to live, visit and do business in. While the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for all operational policing matters, the Minister and the Department remain committed to making sure gardaí have the necessary resources to build stronger, safer communities.”
