25 June 1998 Edition
Ferris pushes on anti-drugs
Ard Comhairle member and SF representative for Tralee, North Kerry, Martin Ferris, together with local activists, convened a picket on the home of a known drug dealer in Shanakill last week, as part on a campaign against drug pushing in the county.
Despite accusations of intimidatory tactics concocted by elements in the media and public figures, Ferris was adamant that the function of the picket was to raise awareness amongst local residents and people living throughout Kerry regarding the ever increasing evidence of drug dealing in the region.
``When we went to this house last week, we made it quite clear that we were not there to intimidate or threaten. I emphasised that we were there to highlight the fact that drugs were being dealt from the house,'' he said.
The individual concerned, Michael Bentley, had previously publicly admitted that he had been involved in drug dealing and had given an undertaking to cease his anti-social behaviour at a drugs awareness meeting organised by Tralee Sinn Féin. The local organisation were prepared to accept this undertaking as genuine, but were recently dissappointed at revelations, from a number of sources, claiming that he had resumed his dealing.
Shanakill residents had decided to elect a committee with the responsibility for investigating reports of drug dealing activities in the area and SF have pledged their support in assisting this and other residents' groups in the war on drugs.
Local SF activist Donal Cusack commented that ``north Kerry Sinn Féin have consistently stated that while there continues to be a drug problem which has resulted in so much pain and grief for many families in Kerry, we will be there to confront it and we stand ready and willing to do just that.''
Despite accusations of intimidatory tactics concocted by elements in the media and public figures, Ferris was adamant that the function of the picket was to raise awareness amongst local residents and people living throughout Kerry regarding the ever increasing evidence of drug dealing in the region.
``When we went to this house last week, we made it quite clear that we were not there to intimidate or threaten. I emphasised that we were there to highlight the fact that drugs were being dealt from the house,'' he said.
The individual concerned, Michael Bentley, had previously publicly admitted that he had been involved in drug dealing and had given an undertaking to cease his anti-social behaviour at a drugs awareness meeting organised by Tralee Sinn Féin. The local organisation were prepared to accept this undertaking as genuine, but were recently dissappointed at revelations, from a number of sources, claiming that he had resumed his dealing.
Shanakill residents had decided to elect a committee with the responsibility for investigating reports of drug dealing activities in the area and SF have pledged their support in assisting this and other residents' groups in the war on drugs.
Local SF activist Donal Cusack commented that ``north Kerry Sinn Féin have consistently stated that while there continues to be a drug problem which has resulted in so much pain and grief for many families in Kerry, we will be there to confront it and we stand ready and willing to do just that.''