Councillor highlights local car burnings

A local councillor has highlighted an incident in which two cars were allegedly burnt out.

Cllr Hughie Egan, from Doon, raised the issue at a meeting of Offaly County Council last week, when he expressed concern about over the allocation of just one Garda to Offaly following a passing out ceremony in Templemore last week.

"I have raised this issue before, and I'm aware it is an issue across the country, but it's becoming a big issue in rural communities," he said.

Referencing last week's petrol bomb attack in Waterford, which killed two adults and two children, the Fine Gael councillor from Doon also condemned an incident of serious anti-social behaviour in his local area, where two cars were allegedly burnt out.

"People are asking where this is going to end.

One of the cars that was set on fire was pushed away using a tractor.

Otherwise, the house would be gone," he said.

The members agreed to write a letter to the Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, expressing their concerns over the allocation of just one new Garda to Offaly in light of the increase in drug intimidation.