A Fianna Fáil TD has come in for scathing criticism after posting on social media that he was “sick of seeing people eulogising and heaping praise on thugs".
Cathal Crowe, a Fianna Fáil TD for Clare, posted this message on his Facebook account, branding the five teenagers involved in the crash as "thugs".
“Our sympathies and concerns should be for victims. Our support should be for An Garda Síochána", he wrote.
This happened after five teenage boys were killed when the car they were travelling in drove the wrong way along the M9 near Moone in Co Kildare. Three sisters who were in the other car which was involved in the collision, were left with serious injuries.
This post was criticised by Independent senator Lynn Ruane, who described them as “beyond disturbing to me to see the Chair of the Committee on Youth speak about young people in such a dehumanising way”. (All quotes according to The Journal).
It was also reported that the funeral notices for one of the teenagers killed in the crash, was removed from RIP.ie due to abuse comments.
It emerged that the notice for Joe Carthy, who was 15 years old and from Clonmullion, Athy, Co Kildare, which was published on Monday morning, was taken down a few hours later, due to the volume of abuse over this fatal accident.
Traveller advocates, Pavee Point have also called for people to stop posting racist remarks and for social media companies to step in.
Meanwhile, People Before Profit councillor Hazel De Notúin said that her thoughts are with the victims of this crash, and that more work needs to be done to reach out to young people before more damage is caused.
Several TDs, councillors and youth workers have said that some of the young people who have been killed as part of this "Lucky Dip" gang have come from very difficult backgrounds and community outreach groups have been struggling to reach out to them.
