The feuds are ongoing and have seen incidents of arson and a drive-by shooting.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that Gardaí in Longford and Granard districts are to be assisted by Western Region Armed Support Units to manage the ongoing incidents of violence linked to a number of feuds within the Travelling community in the county.
There have been approximately 43 incidents involving six different feuding families resident in Longford, including assaults requiring hospital treatment, criminal damage, arson and a drive-by shooting.
The Garda Representative Association (GRA) welcomed the news that Armed Response Units will assist Gardaí in Longford, believing it was necessary to tackle the violent incidents.
But it has also called for even more resources in the area so Gardaí can effectively deal with the situation.
“While the GRA does not comment directly on operational matters, we welcome any measures that increases the safety and security of the public,” the GRA said in a statement.
“We believe it was necessary to deploy armed support to allow Gardaí to tackle the upsurge in violent incidents in Longford in a manner that provides appropriate protection for our members’ safety.”
“The GRA also calls for more resources in the area to ensure Gardaí can proactively monitor the situation safely after this operation concludes, and to prevent any resurgence of the many violent incidents we have seen in Longford over the past 10 weeks.”
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