Sinn Féin threatens to picket home of alleged drug dealer
Mr Ferris said Sinn Féin told the gardaí of the person’s activities over a year ago, but the person had continued to operate with impunity.
Kerry North TD and the Tralee SF town councillor, Cathal Foley, met Supt Pat Sullivan of Tralee on Thursday to highlight their concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour around the town.
In a statement yesterday Mr Ferris said Sinn Féin had last year been assured by the former chief superintendent in Tralee that action would be taken against a person who was openly peddling drugs from a housing estate.
“We were told that the gardaí were aware of this person’s activity and we were assured that action would be taken against this person,” Mr Ferris claimed.
“If this person continues to deal drugs with impunity, Sinn Féin will consider picketing this person’s house.”
Gardaí in Tralee, however, said they would prevent a picket going ahead.
“Protection will be afforded in the event of a situation arising where a breach of the peace may occur,” Supt Sullivan said.
“Evidence is required to process cases and take people to court,” Supt Sullivan added.
The SF statement said the party was concerned about the escalating drugs problem in Tralee, as well as burglary, joyriding and assaults on taxi drivers.
Mr Ferris said it was clear a lack of adequate garda resources was a major factor in preventing efforts to deal with the problems, but the meeting with Supt Sullivan had been very constructive.
In the run-up to the 2002 general election in which Mr Ferris was first elected to the Dáil, Sinn Féin was engaged in a number of so-called crime-solving activities in the Kerry North constituency, including the picketing of the house of an alleged drug dealer.
Mr Ferris strongly denied vigilantism at the time.
Mr Ferris and other SF members were arrested during garda investigations into a vigilante-style abduction in Castleisland in 2001. Nobody has since been charged in connection with the abduction.
