Residents of Upper Erne Street have already informed me of the problems referred to by the Deputy and I have already met with residents with a view to tackling the very serious problems reported to me.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that gardaí from Pearse Street station are currently investigating recent incidents of theft and criminal damage in the area referred to by the Deputy. I understand that regular Garda patrols have been instructed to give the area ongoing attention with a view to identifying the offenders and ensuring a concentrated and visible Garda presence. These uniformed Garda patrols are being backed up by detective patrols, the divisional crime task force, the special resource unit, the drugs unit and the community policing unit.