| Thugs condemned following arson attack |
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| Wednesday, 09 April 2008 | |
 THUGS who set fire to a Dublin City Council parks depot causing thousands of euro worth of damage have been accused of an attack on the entire Northside community.Staff at the depot in Priorswood Park, which was gutted in an arson attack in the early hours of Easter Sunday morning (March 23), are still trying to come to terms with the extent of the damage from the fire. Vital machinery, including eight tractors used to maintain a large number of parks on the Northside, was completely destroyed in the fire, which gardai in Coolock are treating as suspicious. The depot has been deemed out of bounds for the 12 staff members who regularly work there, hampering their efforts to keep public parks from Artane to Santry in good condition as the busy summer period approaches. The fire will also have an effect on many local football and sports clubs who rely on the city council to keep their pitches cut and maintained. Officials from the Health and Safety Authority who visited the depot last week have deemed it unsafe and have advised all staff and members of the public to stay away from the building. Cllr Larry O’Toole (SF) has condemned the arson attack. “This mindless vandalism wasn’t just an attack on a public facility but on the entire community,” Cllr O’Toole said. “After speaking to the distraught workers of the depot last week, my sympathy goes out to these dedicated people who keep our parks and public open spaces in top class condition.” Cllr O’Toole feared the attack could curtail the parks department’s work in the area, and pitches and public areas might not be attended to until the machinery can be replaced. “I would say to those responsible for this anti-social activity that they are only displaying their stupidity and lack of concern for their community and the hundreds of people who use the park,” he added. A spokesman for the Garda Press Office told Northside People the fire was under investigation. “This investigation is still ongoing and the fire is being treated as suspicious,” the spokesman stated. He added that there was an appeal for witnesses and anybody with information regarding the fire should contact Coolock Garda Station on 6664200 or on the confidential Garda phone number 1800 666111. A spokeswoman for Dublin City Council told Northside People that around e150,000 worth of damage was caused to the tractors alone and that the roof of the depot will have to be completely replaced. However, the spokeswoman added that work would not have to stop on the parks due to the fire, as they will borrow tractors from another department. |
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Developed by Kevin Flynn