Councillor challenges Minister over heroin dealer sentencing

A city councillor has challenged the Minister for Justice to justify “lenient” sentences being passed down on heroin dealers in Galway.

Independent councillor Mike Cubbard told Minister Frances Fitzgerald he was astonished to read in last week’s Galway City Tribune about a Lithuanian dealer – caught with a total of 80 bags of heroin – who was sentenced to just five months.

The judge who covered the August ‘holiday’ sittings of Galway District Court, Marie Keane, said she could not help but notice “a significant issue with drugs in the city, moving onto more serious drugs”.

In a letter to Minister Fitzgerald, Cllr Cubbard said: “I challenge you and your Department to justify the leniency of sentencing being passed down for those convicted of drug possession with intent for sale or supply and, in particular, the worrying increase in cases involving heroin.

“I am referring to a local case (he included a link to the case on our website) and I ask you how a Lithuanian national, who arrived here with just the clothes on his back, was handed a five-month sentence for such offence?

“I am not accepting he was forced here with the promise of a great life when the world over knows we are in economic crisis this past number of years.

“This individual had 10 bags of heroin for sale as well as 70 further bags in his rented property. I find this astonishing and there is now an outrage amongst locals to know he will be back on the streets within three months as he has already served two whilst waiting for sentence,” said Cllr Cubbard.

He asked the Minister if she saw anything wrong with the sentence, or if she shares the concern of ‘locals’ that he may re-offend.

“It’s my belief that we need to be stronger in this regard as a country and stand up to European ruling if this is the case which is preventing us deporting this man.

“I am not interested in his stories of heartache from his homeland, I am not interested in his cry for help. I am interested in protecting my proud city, our communities, our children and the generation that will re-ignite the economy which has on its knees for a number of years.

“Minister, I would ask you to speak to your appointed Minister to tackle the drugs issue, Minister O’Riordáin, and seek his opinion as he would not meet with me a number of months ago when I requested to discuss the issues prevalent to Galway.

“Throughout our country we need action taken, but such lenient laws simply put us backwards in our attempts. Please advise why we are so lenient in cases such as this and why we cannot send this individual home with no return possible?

“I do credit the Gardaí for doing their job in bringing individuals like this before the courts, our judicial system must now support them,” Cllr Cubbard wrote.