The claims have been made by the Downey family from the Ard na Graine estate. Stephen and Donna Downey, who are parents of six children, say that they have had to install CCTV at their home following a spate of attacks, during which their cars have been damaged with acid, petrol has been poured through their letterbox and ignited, and their garden shed has been burned down.

Superintendent Phil Moynihan has denied suggestions though that Garda are not acting properly upon reports received. He conceded that a feud had been going on "between particular parties" in the locality, but said that each incident reported to them was investigated thoroughly.

"Everything reported to us is investigated," he said. "Where we have sufficient evidence, we will institute proceedings immediately."

Stephen and Donna Downey are still unhappy with the Garda, however, and are now going to lobby the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, to get involved in their case.

The couple, who both come from northern Ireland and who are members of the Irish Republican Socialist Party, met last week with the IRSP's spokesman Terry Harkin, in an effort to get a meeting with the Minister.

Terry Harkin said afterwards that the IRSP executive was getting involved in the case, in order to protect their members and other residents of Ard na Greine.

"We have a special obligation to the people of Bray," he said, referring to the fact that the IRSP, the political wing of the INLA, had been founded by a Bray councillor, the late Seamus Costello.

"I was brought in here because, at senior level in the IRSP it was acknowledged that something ought to be done about the situation," he added. He said that through their ongoing contacts with the Irish Government, they were seeking to bring the issue to the attention of the Minister for Justice.

The Downeys moved from northern Ireland to Bray in 1992. Stephen Downey, who had been serving a life sentence for murder and conspiracy to commit murder, was acquitted when an appeal court ruled in 1986 that the evidence of 'supergrass' Harry Kirkpatrick was inadmissible.

STATEMENTS ENDS