Children as young as 10 being groomed for drugs trade in Dublin

The author of the study into organised crime in Dublin, Dr Johnny Connolly, has said there are answers to the problem, but it is not going to be easy.

The study, Building Community Resilience, found organised confrontations with gardaí, either in patrol cars or on the beat, are sometimes intended to make certain locations no-go areas for policing.

The report estimated there are around 650 individuals engaged in a loosely organised criminal network in the Dublin South Central Area comprising of career criminals, street dealers and children who provide supports.

When pared down, it identified two distinct networks comprising of 44 and 52 core individuals respectively.

The research, which was carried out in close collaboration of An Garda Síochána, was commissioned by the Policing Forum Network which represents four policing fora from the Dublin South Central Area.

Dr Connolly, who is a lecturer at the University of Limerick, told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that what was really important was that people in the community still wanted to engage with the gardaí and were willing to do so.

There needs to be a ‘whole system’ approach ensuring support for vulnerable young people. This would be a means to disrupt the criminal networks.

The situation is not completely out of hand, he added. This was not to minimise the impact of serious crime on the community.

The young people involved were all from disadvantaged backgrounds and were on the deprivation index.

Others got caught up in debt and were groomed, particularly vulnerable young people, he explained.

One of the most problematic elements was the degree of control the organised crimes gangs exerted in the areas.

“The vast majority of people want to live normal lives,” he said, but fear drives them to find other solutions to the issues that are facing.

There is a lot to change in this space, said Dr Connolly.