McEntee: Bomb threat won't make me quit politics

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee says the recent bomb threat on her home will not make her quit politics.

A threat was made against the home of the East Meath TD last weekend by a man claiming to be an inmate at an Irish prison and was issued through the Samaritans helpline.

It was the latest of several threats against Ms McEntee, including a previous bomb threat against her home. It is understood that the property was searched as per standard procedure and that there was nothing to suggest that the Minister or her family were in danger.

Speaking at the announcement of the appointment of chairpersons for the first phase of the Local Community Safety Partnerships at the Civic Offices in Drogheda this morning, The Minister for Justice said she was not considering quitting political life as a result of the incident.

"Something like that doesn’t deter me and it shouldn’t,” said McEntee.

"While it is not nice and unfortunately we have seem more and more in recent times, it is a small number of people who will engage in that type of behaviour and we need to make sure that democracy is not allowed to be impacted by a small group of people and certainly it will not deter me,” she added.

Responding to latest crime figures that show that the number of theft and related offences recorded in Meath rose by almost 14 per cent in the year up to end of June, compared to the same period a year ago, whilst the county also having the lowest number of Gardai per head of population, the East Meath TD said:

"It is no secret that our population has increased massively and we have struggled to get the Garda numbers up at that same speed,” said McEntee.

"We have had a year and a half of Garda recruits coming out of the college and Meath has gotten its fair share, in fact outside of Dublin it has gotten the highest number of new recruits and we just need to keep going in that direction, my priority is that we have as many recruits coming in and out of the college as possible,” she added.

"Meath has often been a victim of burglaries because of the motorways and because we are easily accessible , like other places, Operation Thor was put in place and that has seen a massive reduction in the number of home burglaries but what we have seen now is an increase in shop related thefts.

"In response to that, Gardai this year announced Operation Táirge, which works on the same basis as Thor, specifically identifying people who are working in an organised way particular when it comes to retail theft and we have had huge successes already where Meath Gardai have been involved in identifying and under covering a number of people who are causing a lot of these problems . It is making sure that the Gardai have the resources and ability to respond while making sure we continue to increase the numbers over all.”

The Department of Justice intends to set up local community safety partnerships throughout Ireland in the coming months with Kildare, Leitrim, Louth, South Dublin, Sligo, Tipperary and Longford being rolled out initially.

These will aim to make communities safer by bringing together Gardai, social services, drugs services, members of the community and public representatives to brainstorm and oversee ways to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime more holistically.

The government has piloted the method for the last couple of years in spots including Dublin’s north-east inner-city, Drogheda and Waterford.

McEntee says that this initiative does not aim to compensate for the lack of a full time Garda station in Laytown. In 2022 Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris gave a commitment to provide a new Garda station for Laytown, however plans have stalled since with no clear time frame in place. With the influx of visitors in summer months, anti social behaviour and a recent spate of fires at the dunes, it is an area unique in its challenges, however, the Justice Minister says the new community partnership when on stream will respond to these needs.

"There is a plan for a Garda station it is in the capital plan, it is a matter of making sure we have the right site and getting things moving,” she said.

" It is looking at new and innovative ways that you can respond to some of the challenges on the ground,” added the Minister.

"The Meath Partnership for example could identify that there are some measures in Laytown/Bettystown that would help to deal with some of the challenges there that they might not necessarily need in other parts of the county.

"The partnership can do that, they can put a plan in place and say we actually believe that this particular area needs a specific focus. What is really important is that there are people who are sitting around the table are at a level where they can make those decisions whether it is in a department whether it;s in the HSE, in education or local authorities, that they can sign off and make those actions happen.”

Responding to some Councillor’s concerns that the new Local Community Safety Partnerships that will replace the JPC (Joint Policing Commission) would edge out local representatives out of the conversation, the Minister for Justice said:

"The difference between the JPC and the community partnership is really that we are building on the work of the JPC so it won’t just be local representatives, it won’t just be the Gardai and the local authority, it will be so many people from across the community all having a chance to collaborate and work together on what is important to them so I think it is a real radical approach to community safety.

"It is not to exclude local representatives who are very much part of it , in some instances we will have councillors chair the group as well. What is really exciting is how we have seen how it has already worked in local areas. The Drogheda Implementation Board really is a replica of that same structure and over the past three years we have had 70 different people from across 30 different organisations from within the community, people who are working at state agency level within government and local authorities, they have come together and they have implemented over 70 plans and those plans relate to everything from supports for the Red Door which is a fantastic addiction support groups and project , to investment in our creches , our primary schools, our secondary schools, out third level education.

"We have investment now going into sporting facilities, infrastructure within the town, the gardai are being supported, there has been huge investment into Youth Diversion Programmes and these are all areas that the community themselves have identified as needing support, needing something of a step change in help and really looking at community safety from not just a justice perspective but from a social perspective. What is unique about them as well is that every county is different so what Drogheda or Louth needs might be different to what Meath needs."

Speaking on the chances of Fine Gael securing two seats in the now four seat constituency in Meath East in the upcoming general election, Mc Entee said:

"I think there is every possibility and every chance. I have a fantastic running mate in Sharon Tolan, she is very well known and has been working on the ground for the last ten years. I believe that have a history of delivering in the county and across the constituency and obviously that is what we will be saying to people on the doors and we will be asking for support. I will be doing everything that I can to make sure that both myself and Sharon both get elected."