Fianna Fáil candidate for Wicklow Cllr. Jennifer Cuffe has condemned two acts of vandalism on Kilmacanogue GAA club. Following a fire started over the weekend which destroyed a life-saving defibrillator, the club was attacked a second time on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning with the dressing rooms being broken into and set alight.
“I condemn these shameful acts of vandalism on Kilmaconogue GAA club. These thugs cannot be allowed to intimidate our communities and I ask anyone who witnessed anything suspicious to report it to Bray Garda station.
“The unfortunate thing is that these sorts of incidents have been far too common across the country in recent years. Garda numbers have been whittled down to around 12,000 and 139 Garda stations have been closed under this Government. In 2010 Wicklow had 360 Gardai, in 2015 this number had dropped to 320, a decrease of 40 Gardai or 11.1%
“Fianna Fáil are committed to keeping homes safe and protecting communities by increasing Garda numbers to 15,000. The decision to extinguish the blue light of the local station sent a clear message to criminals and vandals that has resulted in a wave of burglaries hitting cities, towns and villages around Wicklow and the rest of the country.
“In Government Fianna Fáil will ensure the Gardaí will be properly funded to tackle this crime wave and this will contribute to our objective of making communities safer.”
