Ballymun child gun incident must be a 'turning point' for the community
A call has been made for an incident involving a child firing a gun to stand as a “turning point” for Ballymun.
People Before Profit Councillor Conor Reddy has issued a statement on reports that a child fired an automatic weapon after it was thrown into bushes around Sillogue Gardens, Ballymun. Cllr Reddy said the incident should “force” urgent government action to provide safety for a community that is deeply shocked.
The gun was dropped during a chase between gardai and two suspects, a man and teenager, one Tuesday at around 3pm. The man in his 20s and teen were arrested, although shots were fired by a child believed to be around 11 who found the discarded weaponed. It was the second loaded gun to be found in Ballymun within a three-day period after gardai found a handgun hidden in a bush near a playground on Sunday. The incidents are understood to be linked to an ongoing feud in the area.
“People in Ballymun are shocked and frightened by what has happened. We are extremely lucky that nobody was injured or killed, but there is a growing sense of fear in the community as violence escalates and these feuds continue without resolution,” Cllr Reddy said.
“Homes have been shot at, there have been arson attacks, extremely violent attacks have happened in broad daylight, and people are terrified as a result. You can’t help but feel that if this continues, somebody innocent could be seriously hurt or killed. That is the fear many people are carrying.”
Cllr Reddy highlighted “the most tragic and striking” aspect of this violence is the age of some of the people involved. He said that witnessing “teenagers and young men barely into adulthood” embroiled in criminality highlights “a deep failure by the State.”
“Ballymun has some of the highest levels of deprivation in the entire State, alongside generations of problems with drugs, addiction, trauma and underinvestment. There are brilliant people doing incredible work in the community: youth workers, volunteers, addiction services, schools, community organisations and residents. Much of that work is proven to have an impact, but it has never been given the scale of support needed,” he said.
Citing the 2021 report ‘ Ballymun – A Brighter Future ,’ Cllr Reddy said there have already been prior warnings of open drug dealing, crack cocaine, and young people being drawn into criminal networks. Bringing up issues of school exclusion, trauma and inadequate family supports, he stresses “the need for a serious plan based on prevention, desistance and tackling the most harmful criminal activity.”
“Mícheál Martin came to Ballymun in 2024. Helen McEntee, as Minister for Justice, made commitments around the Ballymun Implementation Board. The people around that table are dedicated and serious, but central government has not provided the investment required to tackle the entrenched and complex social problems that lead to violence. They have neglected us again. Government has again failed to guarantee the safety of a working-class community,” he said.
Speaking about positive community approaches in recent years, Cllr Reddy said Ballymun may be Ireland’s first Trauma Informed Town, but “on top of a trauma-informed approach, we also have to tackle the social issues that create trauma in the first place.”
“We need to address these issues systematically: secure housing, family support, proper addiction and dual-diagnosis services, mental health care, youth work, school inclusion, and alternatives for young people who are being pushed out of education,” he said.
“A board without serious funding is not enough. Ballymun does not need more reports or recommendations. It needs investment.”
Calling for a properly funded community safety and public health response to recent violence and long-running drugs and social issues, Cllr Reddy said People Before Profit support investment in the community. That includes youth work, family support, addiction services, dual diagnosis, mental health, alternative education, community development and measures to protect residents from intimidation and open drug dealing.
This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme