DUBLIN LABOUR COUNCILLOR Steve Wrenn has said that he’s prepared to organise a weapons amnesty for next month whether or not he gets the support of the Justice Minister Alan Shatter.
Wrenn told TheJournal.ie that he’s written to the minister to ask him to support a non-Garda amnesty where people can come and hand in weapons including knives, guns and pipe bombs in designated areas around the Dublin city and around the rest of the country.
The councillor said that he’s been toying with the idea for a while, but that he was in the Phoenix Park at the weekend and had a “bad feeling” about what he saw.
He said young people need to be educated about the consequences of carrying knives – an arrestable offence with a penalty of five years in prison.
Wrenn said a knife amnesty would involve youth workers acting as middle men and collecting the weapons, while also providing information and intervention in the form of youth clubs and youth organisations.
The Dublin North West councillor also wants the locations of pipe bombs to be disclosed during the amnesty, so that the army can be contacted to come and take them off the streets.
MCD support requested
Wrenn said that he has written to concert promoters MCD and asked them to financially support the initiative, and is also asking the Gardaí for their support by ‘backing off’ and allowing independent parties to receive the surrendered weapons.
He said that he will go ahead with the amnesty over the August Bank Holiday weekend whether he has the support of the justice minister or not. He has asked anyone with information about weapons or questions about the amnesty to call him on 087 2744849.
In 2006 the Irish government held a two-month long amnesty which yielded 953 pieces, but Wrenn said that the type of weapons have changed, with pipe bombs and automatic weapons much more common.
Yesterday it was confirmed that the Garda Commissioner is to meet with representatives of MCD to review the circumstances surrounding the incidents at Saturday’s concert in the Phoenix Park.
Nine people were stabbed at the event featured music by Swedish House Mafia, Snoop Dogg, Calvin Harris and Tinie Tempah. Minister Shatter said that he shared the widespread public concern at the “series of disturbing incidents” which took place.
Investigation
The Minister for Social Protection is calling for an investigation into what happened in the Phoenix Park. Joan Burton has expressed her condolences to the families of those who lost their lives through suspected overdoses, and to those injured.
The minister said she will be in touch with the Justice Minister and with Brian Hayes, the junior minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works.
Burton said she witnessed first hand the level of alcohol consumption in the Castleknock and Navan Road areas and said:
It is interesting that the atmosphere at the other events held in the Phoenix Park over the weekend was entirely different as they attracted a more mature audience. The nature of Saturday’s even was clearly unsuitable to the Park, whereas the other events over the weekend were not problematic.
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