The Long And the Short Of It
The Mayor of Limerick, Jim Long, has been embroiled in a number of controversies recently. So who is he? What does he represent? And is he really a racist, as his accusers claim?
Olaf Tyaransen, 18 Apr 2012
So if someone says that to you, what do you actually do?
I get on to the Gardaí straight away. All they can do then is send around a patrol car with the lights flashing. Even if they get somebody, they need a witness. They need a statement. I can’t give that statement because I’m only acting on behalf of a complainant. Who won’t allow me to use their name. So it’s a merry-go-round.
The Collins family had to leave the city recently because of death threats from a local criminal gang.
It’s a very sad day for democracy. Ireland let the Collins’ down. Under no circumstances was Steve [Collins] and his family under threat with the 24-hour protection. He was always safe – but he had no life. I witnessed that first-hand. I saw his wife, his daughter. They kept looking over their shoulders. They didn’t feel safe. Now, there are people who gave [evidence] and have had witness protection and have lived and are living in Ireland, in different parts, but that was not the case for the Collins’. The State could not provide a safe living environment for them, hence they had to go abroad. That is very sad. That is democracy failing.
Last year there were 21 men convicted of soliciting prostitutes in Limerick following a sting. They were all named and shamed in court and, subsequently, in the media. What was your take on that?
Yeah, this is a very unusual one [smiles]. First of all, I clearly stated that I was unhappy with the sting operation, and I wasn’t listened to, so I hope I can get the same point across. I have no issue with the Gardaí arresting people for soliciting, but was it ever proven? My contention was that if I could drive up Catherine St. and identify the prostitutes – which I could – why couldn’t they be picked up? There was not one prostitute arrested. I won’t go as far to say that there were innocent people, but there was a few characters with €5 in their pocket who went to these women for the craic, and they’re listed as soliciting prostitutes. It couldn’t have been done anyway! There was one who approached the car window of a driver and he was arrested. Because there was the presence of armed detectives, it was to safeguard the sting Garda, but sure there were armed detectives within fuckin’ four feet of them [the prostitutes]. Where I got annoyed was, if I walk up O’Connell St., I’ll see gangs of youths intimidating and robbing people. Why can’t they put a sting operation there and eradicate the bastards? Now I’m not condoning prostitution in Limerick. Legalise it, get rid of it, do whatever you want with it.
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