Child sexual assault and indecent exposures among 4,300 complaints made to Irish Rail last year
Irish Rail received nearly 4,300 messages to its dedicated text line for reporting antisocial behaviour on train services last year, with passengers complaining about drug use, violence, sexual assault, and indecent exposure.
Among the incidents reported in 2024 include a man defecating in the middle of a carriage, a fist-fight involving a man and a woman, a passenger brandishing a sword, and a child allegedly being sexually assaulted.
A government TD is now calling for a dedicated public transport unit of An Garda Síochána.
Records released under freedom of information laws suggest that drugs are regularly being openly abused on train services, with children even observed smoking cannabis on the Dart in January of last year.
In February, one commuter texted Irish Rail to report a couple openly using cocaine on a train service with their baby in a pram in front of them, while a man on a train near Killiney last May was reported to have removed his trousers while smoking cannabis.
Alcohol consumption was also a recurring problem. On February 29, a 'violent, aggressive drunk man' was removed from a train at Clara, after which distressed passengers watched him 'vomiting and trying to fight'.
In July, a passenger contacted Irish Rail to report that a 75-year-old man had exposed himself to a young girl on an afternoon train service. She was 'visibly upset', they said.
Similarly, a man on a train heading for Sydney Parade in Dublin last June was reported for 'exposing his d**k', and a man on a train at Booterstown was 'exposing his bare arse to young girls' in January.
There were a number of complaints about couples engaging in 'sexually explicit acts' on trains. On October 11, an individual reported that two fellow passengers were 'openly fingering each other and making out'.
In August, a troubling text message reported that a child had been sexually assaulted by a group of adolescents on a train early in the evening. The child disembarked at Bayside station, according to the report.
Also in August, a passenger was made to feel very uncomfortable by a man who was walking up and down the train dressed as a clown. In March, a man boarded a train to Maynooth with a sword, according to two reports.
In late July, a passenger reported that a man and woman were punching each other on board a train, noting that 'she had him in a headlock at one point'.
On April 9, a knife fight was reported on the Sligo-Dublin service around 11am, while a man 'slapped' a girl during a 'lovers' quarrel' on the Howth train near Connolly Station in January.
There were frequent instances of racist abuse on train services last year. In March, it was reported that two males were racially abusing 'a little boy' on a train, while a woman and her child were the targets of racist abuse near Connollly Station in September.
In May, passengers on a train at Howth Junction had a rock thrown through the window, while one commuter reported that a group of 'young lads' had been travelling on the outside of the train before jumping off at Lansdowne Road.
A man was reported to have defecated on a train in January and, in an unrelated incident, a passenger discovered 'an actual bag of faeces' in the middle of a carriage in September while travelling to Bray.
There were several complaints about the presence of blood on walls, windows and seats on carriages, as well as 'puddles' of vomit on floors, and 'dog poo' on some of the seats.
A number of passengers who reported antisocial or criminal behaviour to Irish Rail via the text line said they had to get off the train for their own safety.
Reaction
Fianna Fáil TD Cormac Devlin described the incidents described in the text messages as 'awful', and said there was a need to expedite plans for public transport policing contained in the Programme for Government.
'What's proposed at this stage is a standalone public transport service. My own preference would be that it would be a unit of An Garda Síochana,' he said.
'This is why we definitely need to have more monitors, more proactive and visible deterrents on public transport – on carriages and platforms. Nobody wants to see these awful elements, particularly for youngsters. We need to ensure they are safe.'
A spokesman for Irish Rail said antisocial behaviour was a societal issue to which train services were not immune, but added that there were a range of proactive and preventative measures in place to address it.
'The text line allows people to discreetly alert us to issues of concern, and is live monitored through our central security hub, who are in direct contact with our security teams on the network to co-ordinate response,' he explained.
'The vast majority of 50.1 million journeys on our network take place without incident, but we will continue to prioritise prevention of incidents, and rapid response working with our partners.'
Read More
Gardaí rostered at Cork hospital due to violence towards staff
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Irish Times
Court of Appeal remits charges against allegedly unlicensed taximan to District Court
Charges against a Co Wexford man running an allegedly unlicensed taxi service − brought following a covert National Transport Authority (NTA) operation − will be remitted to the District Court following a Court of Appeal decision. In August 2022, an NTA enforcement officer – with assistance from An Garda Síochána – carried out a 'covert test purchase', posing as a passenger when availing of the man's allegedly unlawful taxi service. The man drove the NTA officer to a destination, before the latter identified himself. He recovered the money he'd used to pay his fare to keep as potential evidence. Charges were subsequently brought against the allegedly unlicensed taxi driver in the District Court. READ MORE These charges were dropped when a judge concluded that the NTA officer was, under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013, empowered only to take enforcement action against licensed operators – not unlicensed operators. The NTA officer accepted during the District Court trial that provisions for carrying out a test purchase or 'setting a trap' were not set out under legislation. The High Court upheld the District Court's decision following an appeal brought by the NTA. This was appealed to the Court of Appeal. In a judgment, Ms Justice Nuala Butler, on behalf of the three-judgment Court of Appeal, said a core issue in the case was the extent to which an investigator – ie, the NTA officer – could take steps in the course of their duties which did not have an explicit basis in law. In the Court of Appeal proceedings, the allegedly unlicensed taxi driver accepted that an enforcement officer may take steps in an investigation that are not explicitly set out in legislation, provided it does not go beyond what an ordinary person could do without legal powers. However, he maintained the District Court judge had been right to dismiss the charges against him, arguing that in conducting the covert test purchase, the investigator presented himself as exercising a power under law which he did not have. Ms Justice Butler noted that no statutory power is required by an investigator to do something an ordinary member of the public can do. 'If a member of the public is lawfully entitled to do something, then a person appointed under statute for a particular purpose is also entitled to do that thing unless in doing so he breaches a personal right of an affected person including a suspect in a criminal investigation,' she said. The judge said it was incorrect that a member of the public could not have carried out a covert test purchase. She said it was incorrect to assume that a covert test purchase could not be made by an investigator without expressed provision in law to do so. Ms Justice Butler concluded that the High Court was incorrect in upholding the District Court's decision to dismiss the charges against the allegedly unlicensed taxi driver. She said the NTA's appeal should be upheld, and the case be remitted back to the District Court.
Sunday World
18 hours ago
- Sunday World
Three arrested after €400k worth of damage is caused to Castletown House in Co Kildare
They were arrested by gardai attached to the Crime Hub in Kildare North following a search operation carried out this morning Three males have been arrested following €400,000 worth of damage to Castletown House in Celbridge, Co. Kildare. They were arrested by gardai attached to the Crime Hub in Kildare North following a search operation carried out this morning. The damage was caused to a property during a number of separate incidents between April 22 and May 4 of this year. One adult in his 30s, and two juveniles are currently being detained at Garda stations in Kildare as investigations are ongoing. . News in 90 Seconds - June 20th 'Gardaí attached to the Crime Hub, Kildare North have arrested three individuals this morning Friday, June 20 following a search operation that took place at a number of residential properties in Kildare,' a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said. 'The three arrests relate to a number of separate incidents of criminal damage that was caused to property between the dates of April 22 to May 4. 'The estimated cost of the damage is believed to be in the region of €400,000. 'The three males, one adult male aged in his 30s and two juveniles, are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Garda stations in the Kildare Division.'
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Sky alleges Co Wexford man may have made €450,000 a year from ‘dodgy box' service
Broadcaster and telecommunications giant Sky has claimed in the High Court that a Co Wexford man may have earned up to €450,000 a year from operating a so-called 'dodgy box' service. Sky TV Limited alleges David Dunbar has operated an illegal service providing thousands with access to its copyrighted broadcast material since 2018. Last month, Sky was granted various orders aimed at gathering evidence of Mr Dunbar's alleged infringement, including permission to seize devices belonging to him. In a sworn statement to the court, a Sky anti-piracy investigator says Mr Dunbar is considered by Sky to be a 'top-level' copyright infringer, and that his activity 'is likely to have been to the very serious detriment' of Sky and broadcasters as well as legitimate streaming services in Ireland. Last November, investigators at Sky became aware of a social media account involved in selling an Internet Protocol television service (IPTV). IPTV is the technology behind 'dodgy box' services. READ MORE This account was later linked to Mr Dunbar, the investigator says. Separately, Sky investigators were informed of an anonymous tip-off received by An Garda Síochána's Crime Stoppers initiative, alleging Mr Dunbar's operation of the service. The investigator estimates Mr Dunbar to have up to 5,000 customers paying for his service, generating about €450,000 per year from the operation. Sky's investigation found Mr Dunbar allegedly charged two annual subscription rates for the service, priced at €80 and €100 respectively. The investigator says he believes Mr Dunbar has at least 1,682 customers, but the true number is likely much higher. On Thursday, barristers for Sky said Mr Dunbar, with an address at Manor Crescent, Roxborough Manor, Co Wexford, had breached a number of the court's orders, and was in contempt of court. Theo Donnelly BL, appearing for Sky and instructed by Philip Lee solicitors, said statements made by Mr Dunbar in the proceedings contained inaccuracies and inconsistencies, and failed to explain certain breaches of orders. Mr Donnelly said bank statements exhibited to an unsworn statement, received by his side this week and due to be filed with the court, appeared to show a dissipation of funds, in breach of freezing orders granted by the court. Mr Donnelly suggested that Mr Dunbar be given a final opportunity to clarify Sky's concerns, brought on by his statements. Adam Dodd, a solicitor representing Mr Dunbar, said his client had provided a 'fulsome' affidavit, 'warts and all'. He said his client had admitted to his contempt of court, and has indicated that he is seeking to comply with the orders of the court. Mr Justice Mark Sanfey said he was of the view that Mr Dunbar should 'put his best foot forward' and answer queries raised by Sky regarding his statements to the court. Mr Justice Sanfey warned Mr Dodd that there was a limit to his patience. The judge adjourned the case to next month.
