Families plagued by drug-related intimidation plan Leinster House protest

Families plan a Leinster House protest as new figures reveal rising drug-related arson attacks and intimidation cases across Ireland

Floral tributes at the petrol-bombed house in Birchwood, Waterford, in which Kim and Philip English and their sons, Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, died.

Families plagued by drug-related intimidation plan to hold a protest at Leinster House in a show of “anger and frustration” over the murders of four people in Waterford.

The move comes as gardaí arrested two people in connection with Tuesday’s arson attack at a home in the city — the first arrests in the case —and seized a car.

The two arrested, believed to be a couple with young children, are being questioned on suspicion of helping an organised crime group in carrying out the petrol-bombing.

The attack claimed the lives of Kim and Philip English and their sons, 12-year-old Callum and nine-year-old Jayden, at their home on Birchwood estate.

Two other children, Nadia, aged 14, and Elliot, aged six, who were rescued by firefighters, remain in a critical condition in hospital.

Meanwhile, new Garda figures reveal that the number of drug-related arson attacks has soared from 18 in 2021 to 51 in 2025.

The figures, released to the Irish Examiner, show that 367 court cases have been taken in 2025 against people for intimidation, compared to 136 in 2021.

Gardaí in Waterford suspect the arson attack was the latest in a campaign of intimidation by a gang in the city over a drugs debt.

Mr English is understood to have taken on the debt of someone close to him. 

This person is not connected to the family home.

The drug gang is centred around a large family based in another part of the city and is led by two brothers.

The national support group, Family Addiction Recovery Ireland (FARI), described the attack as “horrifying” and said it was a reminder of the “devastating” consequences of drug-related intimidation.

FARI chair Breda Fell, who runs the constituent support group in the south east, said she has been inundated with calls from affected parents.

“I’ve had phone calls from different parts — from Dublin, Dundalk, Monaghan, and Cork, as well as the south east — all saying ‘how can we show our anger and frustration’ and highlight this issue,” she said.

She said this was a major step for families, who tend to shun publicity, such is the misplaced shame from society towards them.

Ms Fell said: “I mean, my God, we have four members of a family murdered, two of them young children, and two more in hospital. It’s just appalling. We have been for years in a constant battle to highlight this issue.” 

She said: “The Government says it is putting in resources to tackle it, but the new national drugs strategy [published this week] has very little about drug intimidation. 

"Listening to politicians, I don’t think they really get it. It’s not until it is in their face that they act.” 

She said thousands of people marched in Dublin City in 1996 to demand action over the heroin crisis, which, on top of the Veronica Guerin murder by the Gilligan drug gang, forced the then government to act.

“We need to do something like that in the next week or two,” Ms Fell said. 

It won’t be huge, but we will be calling for people to show their anger and frustration outside Leinster House. It will be a call to action.

She said FARI receives no State funding and has yet to be granted representation on national policy bodies.

Mr English’s son, John James, has claimed the killings were over a €20,000 cocaine debt, owed by someone known to his father.

Detective Superintendent Shane McCormack of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, moved to reassure people affected that they will be treated sensitively and met in secrecy, away from their homes or Garda stations.

The funerals will be held at the Sacred Heart Church, Waterford, at 1pm on Monday, with burial in Kilbarry Cemetery.