Stop Blaming Social Media and Start Tackling Criminal Behaviour – O’Reilly
Aontú Senator Sarah O’Reilly has said the Government is focusing on the wrong issue by allowing the debate around the M50 and M9 crashes to become a debate about social media, saying the real question is what is being done to stop dangerous criminal behaviour before an innocent person is killed or seriously injured.
On the M50, eight teenagers were in a car travelling the wrong way on the motorway when it collided with the car of 22-year-old apprentice electrician Craig Fox, who was seriously injured.
On the M9, five teenagers died when their car travelled the wrong way on the motorway and collided with another vehicle, seriously injuring four innocent people.
“Yes, social media companies should remove videos glorifying dangerous and criminal behaviour. But TikTok did not steal the car. TikTok did not drive the wrong way down the motorway. TikTok did not crash into innocent people.”
“That is the part of this conversation I think we are avoiding. We have young offenders who are known to Gardaí and who are repeatedly involved in this kind of behaviour. Yet we seem to wait until something goes catastrophically wrong before we take it seriously.”
Senator O’Reilly said the current position on Garda pursuit training is absolutely desperate.
“We have just been told that not one Garda in the country is currently trained in pursuits. That is astonishing. What exactly are we asking Gardaí to do when somebody refuses to stop and then drives dangerously?
“And Gardaí have reason to be nervous about getting this wrong. In 2021, Garda John Francis Ryan pursued a car being driven the wrong way on the N7. Three men in that car died when it collided with a lorry. Garda Ryan was subsequently charged with dangerous driving and endangerment of life following an investigation.
“You cannot expect Gardaí to have confidence in pursuing dangerous offenders when they have seen a colleague end up facing criminal charges for doing so. The Government keeps telling us there is no tolerance for this behaviour. But there is a difference between saying that at a press conference and actually creating consequences for it.”
Senator O’Reilly said the State has a responsibility to protect people who are doing everything right.
“Look at Craig Fox. He is 22 years old. He passed his test, bought a car, got an apprenticeship and got up in the morning to go to work. He was doing exactly what we ask young people to do; work hard, contribute and get on with his life.
“Why was he not worth protecting?
“Why are we so focused on the people who are breaking the law, while there is so little discussion about protecting the people who are obeying it? The State has a duty to protect people who obey its laws, go to work every day, pay their taxes and contribute to this country.”
