Adjournment Matters

Coastal Erosion

Senator Darragh O'Brien

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, for taking this matter which is a very serious issue for residents of The Burrow, Portrane. I commend the residents of The Burrow and the residents' association there for all the work they have been doing. The Burrow is a community of approximately 80 people with in the region of 150 homes and 15 businesses. Coastal erosion, in particular over the past few months, has occurred at an alarming rate - effectively in the area between Pipers restaurant and the end of Healy's Lane.

I am aware officials from the OPW met the residents recently. Everyone knows there is an issue here but the problem is funding. There is only 15 m of dunes left between the beach and some of the homes. In two months, in some instances, well over 1 m has been lost. With the weather we are having, coastal erosion is taking place at a very worrying rate.

I am looking for the OPW to set aside emergency funding. It has been done before for flooding measures, including one in which I was involved last year in the Kinsealy-Melrose area and I thanked the Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, at the time for his assistance. Some measures can be taken now in advance of a report. Fingal County Council and the Department have said they need to carry out an expert report. That is fine but it could take six to eight months, which we do not have.

What I am requesting on behalf of the residents of The Burrow, Portrane, is that the Department releases emergency funding to stop coastal erosion as best as possible right now in advance of an expert report being done to look for a long-term solution. Time is of the essence, so I will be interested to hear the Minister of State's response. Again, I thank him for taking this important Adjournment matter.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Deputy Joe Costello)

I thank Senator Darragh O'Brien for raising this very important matter. I know the area well and appreciate the importance of protecting a very valuable amenity.

Responsibility for addressing the erosion problem at Portrane rests with Fingal County Council and I am aware that the council is treating this matter very seriously. Coastal erosion is a natural and ongoing process and it only becomes a problem when it threatens human life, infrastructure and properties. It differs significantly from coastal flooding as assets are permanently lost. Dealing with problems of coastal erosion also requires a somewhat different approach to flooding and must be addressed in a sensitive manner.

For some time, Fingal County Council has been working towards tackling the problem of erosion of the dunes at Portrane in conjunction with The Burrow residents' association. The local community and Fingal County Council are keen to find out what measures can be taken to prevent any damage to private and public property at the southern end of The Burrow while also establishing what erosion and sedimentation processes and patterns are taking place on a wider scale in the overall area.

The management of problems of coastal erosion in any particular area is first and foremost a matter for the relevant local authority which in this instance is Fingal County Council. The local authority must assess the problem in the first instance and if it considers that specific measures and works are required, it can submit an application to the OPW for funding to implement those measures under the OPW's minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme. This scheme is one of the principal means through which the OPW, in conjunction with the local authorities, is tackling the problems of coastal erosion.

Applications for funding under the minor works scheme are assessed by the OPW to ensure that the works proposed are viable and are based on a robust technical analysis and assessment of the problems. To be eligible for funding the proposals must also be shown to be cost beneficial and have a sound economic justification. The OPW requires that proposals and funding applications for structural measures to prevent or mitigate erosion should be done in conjunction with an appropriate coastal erosion risk management study which fully investigates, substantiates and demonstrates the merits of the measures being proposed.

In 2007, the county council commissioned a report on how to protect the dunes at Portrane and many of the measures recommended in the report have been implemented. The development of a coastal monitoring scheme was a key recommendation. Subsequently, Fingal County Council helped The Burrow residents' association apply for and secure Leader funding for a simple monitoring programme to measure the retreat of the dunes. The purpose of monitoring the erosion was to provide a basis for going back to the OPW to seek coastal protection funding.

The council outlined clearly to the residents the steps that need to be taken to progress this matter. Among the steps were to engage with specialist consultants to advise on the most appropriate coastal protection measures for this location and ensure that all the necessary information is available in advance to inform an application to the OPW regarding funding to carry out any coastal protection measures.

The OPW has just received an application from Fingal County Council, in compliance with OPW guidelines, under the minor coastal works scheme for a coastal erosion risk management study for the Portrane-Rush area, including The Burrow. The OPW will assess its eligibility for funding in accordance with the normal criteria under the minor works scheme and having regard to the availability of funding under the scheme.

The purpose of the study is to undertake a detailed coastal erosion risk management investigation and to develop an appropriate plan to best manage the risks identified to human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity at this location. The consultants appointed will identify a minimum of two potential low-cost options for interim erosion control measures at the southern end of the Burrow, with the aim of slowing down the erosion at this location while the other studies are taking place.

As indicated by Fingal County Council the 400 m stretch of dunes at the southern end of the Burrow is where the severest erosion of dunes is occurring so an interim solution to deal with this issue in the short term is to be part of the study. It will be a priority of the study for the consultant to identify and design the interim measures quickly. Pending the outcome of the study it will not be appropriate to undertake works at Portrane.

Senator Darragh O'Brien

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I wish to make several observations. Does the application received from Fingal County Council very recently include the required report? The residents were asked to undertake and bear the costs of many of these studies themselves. I welcome the fact an application has been received. With regard to the timeframe for the study, through the good offices of the Minister of State will he impress upon Fingal County Council, as I and other colleagues such as Deputy Brendan Ryan are doing in the constituency, that it must be given the priority required? Is the application that has been received for the works or to fund a study? Has Fingal County Council submitted a report with it? Will the OPW ensure that Fingal County Council gives this area the priority required? It is not just about protecting private property, which is paramount. The area is of great ecological and historical importance. I know the Minister of State is familiar with it and I am sure he agrees. Perhaps the Minister of State has an answer to these items now and if not perhaps he will follow up on them.

Deputy Joe Costello

I will follow up on these items and ensure the Minister is informed of the Senator's remarks. I cannot give the Senator the details but I understand the application is for the study but this will take place rapidly. The consultants have been asked to identify two specific areas of erosion at the southern end which can be dealt with as quickly as possible.

Tax Code

Senator Thomas Byrne

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach as mo ábhar a roghnú ar an Athló sa Seanad. This matter is very important. There is huge unfairness with the property tax in general and this unfairness particularly manifests itself in the commuter belt in Dublin, particularly in areas of south County Meath. The property tax is based on a market value approach which does not take into account the fact that many of these houses have very high mortgages. While there is much emphasis on Dublin and Cork, last year in County Meath the average property in Dunboyne sold for €270,000 and the average property in Ratoath sold for €274,000. This puts both of these towns in the top 13% of average sale prices last year. The average house in Ashbourne sold for €220,000.

If one looks at the census to discover when houses were built one finds that 36% of houses in the Meath East constituency have been built since 2001. In Ratoath this proportion increases to more than 50%. A characteristic of houses built in the past ten years is a high mortgage. These people have high property values on paper but they also have high mortgages. While the Government is more than willing to take into account the high property value to claim a property tax, it is not taking into account the fact that almost all of these people to whom I refer are highly leveraged on mortgages. This should be taken into account. Nothing in the property tax takes into account ability to pay. Ability to pay is hampered even more for those in the commuter belt of Dublin by the fact they have large mortgages. The proposed property tax is inequitable and biased against many home owners in County Meath. I suggest the same applies in Senator O'Brien's area and in Kildare and north Wicklow.

There are also difficulties with valuing properties but we do have the property price register so we can have exact figures. The Government must look at this again. Another characteristic of commuter belt areas, particularly in County Meath, is underdeveloped county council services. People will pay these charges but will not receive the services they deserve because by and large many of these towns do not have town councils. They do not have their own dedicated staff looking after individual towns. People will pay the tax at a much higher rate than average but they will not receive the same services.

I am raising on the Adjournment this issue of huge unfairness because we did not have sufficient time on Second or Committee Stages of the Bill and I do not believe we debated Report Stage of this very important legislation. The Government will find itself surprised at the reaction of people to the property tax, particularly those with very high mortgages. As far back as 2009 I was quoted publicly in newspapers nationally as being opposed to a property tax for the reasons I have outlined today, which I told my friends and colleagues in government at the time. I made my position very clear.

I am not looking for the Minister of State to blame the previous Government for this tax. It is this Government's tax and I ask the Minister of State to make it fairer, particularly for those who bought houses in the past ten years who have very high mortgages and who happen to live in an area with theoretical high property values.

Deputy Joe Costello

I thank Senator Thomas Byrne for tabling this Adjournment matter. The introduction of the local property tax will deliver significant economic and fiscal reform through broadening the revenue base to pay for vital public services in a manner that does not directly impact on employment. It will be fair and progressive, with the owners of the most valuable properties paying the most property tax.

In February 2012, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government established an interdepartmental group under the chairmanship of Dr. Don Thornhill, the Thornhill group, to consider the structures and modalities for a full property tax. The group's terms of reference were to consider the design of a property tax which is equitable and is informed by previous work and international experience.

The Government accepted the greater part of the 18 core recommendations made by the group on the policy and administration of the tax, including its recommendation that the basis of assessment for the tax should be the market value of residential properties, based on the following considerations. Previous work of commissions on taxation from 1982 to 1985 and 2009 recommended market value as the basis of assessment. With regard to international experience, market value is the predominant means of assessment where property taxes exist. Market value is simple, better understood, transparent and has greater scope for public acceptance, as shown by its wide use. It is equitable as it comes within the ordinary understanding of what is fair, and while other options such as site value tax arguably are more economically efficient, this is at the cost of simplicity, transparency, equity and public acceptance. The market value of a residential property is related to the characteristics of the building itself, the site on which it is located, and the characteristics and amenities of the neighbourhood. There will be a relationship between the market value of a house and benefits to the owner in terms of enjoyment of the amenity value of the property.

The Thornhill group examined the issue of broadly similar residential properties which have different chargeable or market values because of their location, with values usually higher for urban properties. Having regard to its term of reference to "ensure the maximum degree of fairness between rural and urban areas", the Thornhill group considered whether a tax assessed on market value would unfairly discriminate against urban dwellers. Consideration was given to other bases of assessment, including floor area, site value tax, house type, or a combination of possibilities. These are detailed in the group's report.

All other options were found to have serious shortcomings. For example, if house type was used as a basis of assessment in urban areas, large terraced houses in affluent areas would incur lower tax liabilities than smaller detached houses in less valuable areas. Similarly, a large and valuable apartment with excellent amenities in a high-value urban area would be taxed more lightly than a modest rural detached house.

The site value option can lead to the same rate being applied to two different properties on similar sites. Its international use is low due to the high level of litigation associated with its usage. The application of a site value tax to properties such as those mentioned by Senator Byrne, namely, properties in the commuter belt of Dublin and particularly south County Meath, would not alleviate the cost for home owners in those areas. If anything, a liability based on site value would probably be greater than a liability based on present market value rates.

The Government also sees the introduction of this tax as an opportunity for real political reform at local government level. The local property tax will provide a stable funding base for the local authority sector, incorporating appropriate elements of local authority responsibility. This will strongly reinforce local democratic decision making and will encourage greater efficiency by local authorities on behalf of their electorates.

Providing local authorities with significant responsibility for raising local revenue has the potential to increase the level of oversight of local authority operations by the electors and thereby strengthen democracy at local level. It also facilitates a level of local decision making that can be used to address urban-rural variations in value. To that end, the local property tax legislation provides that, from 2015 after the next local elections, local authorities can vote to vary upwards or downwards from the national central rate by up to 15% so that they can more closely match the tax-to-expenditure needs and commitments in the local authority area in which it was collected.

Senator Thomas Byrne

I have not argued that the site value tax would be fairer in the commuter belt. The Government suggested that households would be in a worse position under a site value tax, but that is not necessarily true. Sites in those areas are much smaller than sites in other areas. The Government's argument does not necessarily stand up, but I am not making the counterpoint.

There is no link in the Government's plans between property tax and mortgages. This fatal flaw will lead to hardship and unfairness for people with properties of high values and with large mortgages. They will struggle this year and will receive a big surprise when they receive their assessments. They will not stand for it. I call on the Government to reconsider and to devise a fairer tax and a fairer way to fund local services.

Deputy Joe Costello

I will reply briefly. We are not likely to revisit the legislation at this point. It has already been debated and is due to come into application at the beginning of July. A decision was made on the present system of taxation, which will have the benefit of ensuring a regular supply of funding for local authorities. Those of us who were local authority members for many years found funding to be a major problem. This tax will allow local authorities to become real local governments for their areas.

We decided on this mechanism after a careful discussion on the Thornhill group report. One third of the country's dwellings were built after 2000 or thereabouts, which is not too far out of kilter with the situation pertaining in Dublin's commuter belt. Indeed, the situation in my constituency in the heart of Dublin is very much the same.

Difficulties arise in every system that we use. I take the Senator's comments on board and I will bring them to the Minister's attention.

Harbours and Piers Maintenance

Senator David Cullinane

I have twice raised in the House the issue of the need to provide funding to dredge the harbour at Dunmore East. It is a small fishing village on County Waterford's east coast. There is no doubt that the harbour needs to be dredged. The Department has recognised this need. Many vessels can only land at the harbour and the port at high tide because of the build-up of silt. This restricts the types of vessel that can land. Given the fact that Dunmore East is a fishing village and a harbour that needs a turnover of vessels, this situation is a major concern.

When the issue was raised, the Department's reply referred to the potential contamination of the silt and ensuing problems, for example, exposing contaminated mud once the harbour was dredged. The people in the area wonder how silt in Dunmore East could be any more contaminated than silt in any other harbour in Ireland or elsewhere. There is nothing peculiar about the harbour that would lend itself to that claim. People ask about the scientific analysis underpinning the Department's claims about contamination in the fear that it is only being used as an excuse not to provide the necessary funding.

The significant decrease in fish landings at the harbour poses a further issue. If we could deal with the dredging issue, large vessels could land there and commercial activity at the port would increase. This makes sense, as I am sure the Minister of State agrees.

The harbour is a designated fishery harbour at EU level. If foreign trawlers off the east coast of Ireland get into some sort of difficulty, Dunmore East is the designated port. As such, it is all the more urgent that the Government provides appropriate funding to ensure that vessels can land there.

This matter is not just important for the people of Dunmore East, but also for the east of the county. Due to many changes in the fishing industry, the fish processing plants, which employed hundreds of people in that village, have closed. I understand that the harbour's turnover is between €10 million and €12 million per year, but people genuinely believe that it could be significantly increased were the harbour dredged, as landing there would become easier for larger vessels. This would have a positive knock-on in terms of job creation.

If capital or maintenance funding could be made available to ensure that the harbour was properly dredged, the situation would improve. The harbour's turnover would certainly improve. I appeal to the Minister of State to make funding available to ensure that the harbour runs to its full potential and commercial activity increases, impacting positively across all of eastern Waterford.

Deputy Joe Costello

I thank the Senator for tabling this motion on the Adjournment. The harbour at Dunmore East is one of the six designated fishery harbour centres owned, managed and maintained by the Department. Funding is made available on an annual basis by the Department to the fishery harbour centres, including Dunmore East, via the fishery harbour and coastal infrastructure capital development programme.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, is happy to advise that the Department has, over the years, continued to support the development of the Dunmore East fishery harbour centre and has provided significant funding for maintenance, development and upgrading works each year. Indeed, capital expenditure under the programme for Dunmore East since 2007 has been in the order of €4 million. This is in recognition of the valuable contribution the harbour makes, not only to the fishing industry, but also to the local community in terms of the support the harbour infrastructure provides to the development of the tourism industry and the local economy generally.

The Dunmore East fishery harbour centre provides a dedicated and essential service to our fishing fleet. Both local and visiting fishing vessels, including vessels of significant dimensions, are currently availing of its harbour facilities. The Minister is happy to report that the investment in the Dunmore East fishery harbour centre in recent years is bearing fruit. The data provided to him by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority indicate a year-on-year increase in fish landings in recent years.

The Minister is cognisant of the need to be fully aware of the ongoing needs of the harbour users at Dunmore East fishery harbour centre. With this in mind officials from the Department regularly host a harbour users forum and meet with local stakeholders and harbour users. This forum provides a platform for harbour users to air their views and gives the officials an opportunity to hear at first hand the concerns and suggestions of the people using the harbour facilities. The Minister is glad to be able to advise the Senator that as recently as last July, the Dunmore East tourism group, which plays an active part in the harbour users group, formally complimented the appearance of the harbour and the good work being done there by the Department.

The need for dredging works at the harbour is recognised by the Department. Reports commissioned indicate that 80% of the harbour sediment contains tributyltin, TBT. Unfortunately, the cost associated with the disposal of dredge spoil containing TBT is significantly higher than for uncontaminated material. The most recent estimate for dredging of the harbour and disposal of the dredge spoil material in an appropriate manner is approximately €5 million. This represents a significant expenditure in the current economic environment. The Minister confirms that the engineering division of the Department has engaged consultants to examine and report on a number of alternative options in terms of the structuring of the works and the outlay involved. He expects to have the report in the coming months and will assess at that stage how best to proceed in relation to the dredging issue.

In the meantime, the Department will continue to provide investment in the Dunmore East fishery harbour centre facilities. The level of investment will of necessity be tempered by the availability of Exchequer funding. The Minister is happy to confirm that the programme of projects for inclusion in the Department's Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme 2013 is at an advanced stage.

Senator David Cullinane

I thank the Minister of State for his response and acknowledgement of the importance of the harbour and funding required. The Minister of State indicated in the response that 80% of harbour sediment contains TBT, which may or may not be the case. Obviously, I cannot second guess that. Perhaps the Minister would request the Department to pass on the scientific evidence and reports which indicate same. I acknowledge that there is a report pending which examines alternative ways of disposing of the mud once the river is dredged. I again appeal to the Minister to ensure that those alternatives are fully explored and that the funding required is made available so that this issue, if real, does not in any way take away from the need to dredge the river. As acknowledged in the Minister's response, this is of huge significance and importance for the east of the county and every effort must be made to ensure it as easy as possible for as many vessels as possible to land at the harbour and port, which will have a knock-on positive commercial, economic and social value for the people of Dunmore East and the east of the county.

Deputy Joe Costello

The reports commissioned by the Minister indicate that 80% of the harbour sediment contains TBT. The Minister has engaged consultants to consider the options for dealing with the TBT and expects to receive their report in the coming months. The Minister will then be in a position to address the matter properly.

An Leas-Chathaoirleach

I have no doubt if the matter is not resolved Senator Cullinane will raise it again in the House. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Shatter, to the House for the next matter on the Adjournment.

Garda Districts

Senator Michael D'Arcy

In tabling this motion, I am trying to delve into the rationale for the decision by senior gardaí to amalgamate the Gorey and Enniscorthy districts. When this matter was first brought to my attention I raised with senior gardaí, as issues which in my view are relevant, the level of growth in the region and also the speed of growth of criminality there.

Gorey town has grown from being the smallest town of four in the county to the second largest, with a population of approximately 10,000 people. Riverchapel is the second fastest growing urban area on the island. It is important to put this into context. It has not grown from a small village to a bigger village but from a small town to a substantial sized town, with in the region of 5,500 people. The second, fifth and sixth largest towns in the county are in the Gorey district. Of concern to me is the percentage rate of increase in crime in the area. There was a 29% increase in burglaries between 2011 and 2012. I am seeking information in regard to how the decision to amalgamate these two districts was arrived at.

Following this merger, there will be approximately 75,000 people in the catchment area, which is larger than the population of some counties. The number of citizens per garda in Wexford is 548. We learned during the past couple of days that this compares with 299 citizens per police officer in Scotland, 225 citizens per officer in Denmark and 243 citizens per officer in Finland. The average number of citizens per garda in Ireland is 319. However, the figure for County Wexford is one garda for every 548 people. I agree that there is no longer a need for 700 police stations and that as a nation, in terms of communications and road infrastructure, we have moved on. I agree also with much of what the Minister is doing. However, perhaps he will say in his response how this decision was arrived at. I assume it moved up the chain of command to the chief superintendent, assistant commissioner and Commissioner and was finally signed off on by the Minister.

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to address this matter.

Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Alan Shatter)

I thank Senator D'Arcy for raising this important issue.

The Senator will be aware that proposals to alter Garda districts are in the first instance a matter for the Garda Commissioner, in accordance with the provisions of the Garda Síochána Acts. The Garda annual policing plan for 2013, which was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas in December 2012, sets out the Commissioner's proposals in relation to changes within a number of Garda divisions. These changes include proposals to merge 28 Garda districts into 14 expanded districts, including the merger of the Gorey Garda district with the Enniscorthy district within the Wexford division.

The Commissioner's priority in introducing the changes in the 2013 policing plan is to ensure the continued delivery of an effective policing service throughout the country and that Garda resources are deployed to meet the existing and projected policing requirements within all divisions in 2013, including the Wexford division. The amalgamation of Garda districts into larger districts as outlined in the 2013 policing plan will allow for the more flexible deployment of resources and provide improved economies of scale in terms of administration.

The Garda Commissioner has stated that while the revised structures will further enhance operational capacity, they will also continue to support the Garda community policing philosophy. The objective will be to ensure that the best possible policing service will continue to be provided to our communities. The Commissioner makes these decisions in consultation with those working with him. As Minister, I will not second guess the operational judgment of the Commissioner. In that context, I was delighted to launch earlier today the Garda community crime prevention programmes booklet and to acknowledge the very valuable work done by all of those involved in community alert and neighbourhood watch schemes throughout the country. Members of An Garda Síochána work closely with all communities to enhance community safety through a wide range of local fora, including community alert and neighbourhood watch. As Minister, I will continue to do everything I can to support the Garda Commissioner in maintaining the strong Garda connection with the community and to ensure that to the maximum extent possible resources will continue to be made available to An Garda Síochána.

The proposed change within the Wexford division is aimed at freeing up gardaí from behind the desk, so they are out and about in our communities engaging in frontline policing and are preventing, detecting and disrupting crime. It is about maximising the time that our well-trained and highly-skilled gardaí spend on operational duties. This requires that available resources are deployed in the most efficient manner to provide for increased Garda visibility and improved Garda mobility.

In the context of the reconfiguration of Garda districts and the consolidation of Garda stations nationally, it is important to emphasise that the measures being implementing are not a cost-cutting measure. As result of these new arrangements, an extra 61,000 Garda patrol hours will be available in 2013. Despite the cuts in last year's budget it is worth noting that I managed to make available some €4 million that enabled the purchase of 213 new Garda vehicles in 2012. I have also secured dedicated funding of €5 million for the purchase of a significant number of new vehicles in 2013. I reiterate that this is about ensuring that the budget for the Garda Síochána of over €1.4 billion is used effectively and efficiently to provide the best possible policing service for the benefit of the people of the State.

I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation for the commitment provided by every member of the force. I want to express my gratitude to them, on behalf of all of our citizens, for the excellent service that they provide. I am confident that the changes outlined in the Garda Policing Plan 2013 will enable that level of service to continue.

It is worth saying that we are engaged in a substantial and radical reform of the manner in which the policing services are being delivered. Such reform should have been introduced many years ago by my predecessors. I thank the Garda Commissioner for his innovation and excellent assessment and work in this regard. In 2012, a new Garda roster was established which ensures that we have gardaí operating at the times when they are required. We have the station consolidation process which frees up members of the force to engage in more community policing. We are now restructuring the Garda fleet, a matter of considerable importance. It is worth noting that the outgoing Fianna Fáil Government in its National Development Plan 2010 made no provision for funding or capital funding of any nature between 2010 and 2015 for the purchase of new Garda vehicles. The cuts that it sought to effect across the justice family expenditure area exceeded, on average, €90 million per year over and above the reduction in resources that my Government has had to deal with.

This is my first opportunity in this House, but I have done so in the other Chamber, to once again express my deep sadness at the brutal murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe who was laid to rest yesterday. May he rest in peace. I would like to use the opportunity to thank Senator Michael D'Arcy for raising these issues today. I will use the opportunity to yet again appeal to any individual anywhere in the community within the State or in Northern Ireland who can assist the Garda or the PSNI in any way whatsoever in the investigation that is under way, and into those who brutally and callously shot down Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, to make contact with the Garda Síochána or the PSNI and to provide every piece of information that is possible to ensure that those responsible are fully identified, that they are ultimately arrested and properly brought before our courts.

Senator Michael D'Arcy

I would like to be associated with the Minister's comments. The brutal murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe has left a young widow and family bereaved. Any information that would help, however large or small, could only be of huge benefit to the investigation.

I thank the Minister for his response. He made the point that he did not wish to second guess the Commissioner and I understand his wish. This is not a cost-cutting measure. My concern is that the decision is somewhat unilateral. I do not know whether there was a conversation with members of the force up or down or from the rank of the chief superintendent whom I assume passed his or her recommendation up the line. It is my opinion that the region concerned is too large to leave a station without a senior garda. There should be one senior garda of inspector or superintendent rank in a station of this size. Gorey has a population of 10,000 and the district has a population of about 40,000. I want to see the data and research that has gone into formulating the decision. If somebody can stand over the data then I would be quite happy to support the Minister's decision but I do not believe that the data exists. The decision was unilateral and a little bit arbitrary. I disagree with the decision.

How does the Minister view the retention of senior garda at inspector rank in a division or district like this? I have been told that this is not a precedent.

Deputy Alan Shatter

I know that the decision was made by the Garda Commissioner. He prepared a policing plan in consultation with other senior members of the Garda force. A substantial assessment was undertaken on how to effect efficiencies in the force and use resources wisely. It is ultimately for the Commissioner to determine where it is appropriate for particular members of the force to be stationed and the rank of those who should be stationed in particular locations. A broad range of considerations goes into that particular matter. It is not a simple issue of assessing issues in a population. It is examining the history of crime in particular areas, where crime hotspots are, where the type of skills required within individual stations are in order to meet the type of criminality, and one that occurs in particular areas, and the nature of the work that is required to be engaged in when it comes to crime prevention.

Very different considerations can impact on the strength of the numbers that might be located within a particular district or division. It depends on its location and whether it is in rural Ireland or is urban. If it is in an urban or a rural area then the nature of those areas, the criminal history of those areas and the type of difficulties that have arisen are considered. The type of issues that might arise in, for example, Border counties can be very different from the type of issues that might arise in Cork and Wexford. There is a whole range of considerations that I know that the Commissioner applies in consultation with his senior colleagues. These are issues in respect of which the Commissioner has the legal authority to make these decisions.

With regard to operational issues, it is not appropriate that I, as Minister, or any other Member of the House, second guess the decisions made by the Commissioner who is an individual that is appointed to that position because of his level of expertise. I do not think it is appropriate or right that any Member of the House questions the intent of the Commissioner or his bona fides in reaching his decisions.

Of course with policing matters there is no absolute or final position with regard to any policy matters. Policy, strength, the workings within Garda stations, the operational specialties that exist within the Garda Síochána, the particular operations that are put in place to target particular people engaged in different types of criminality, all change over time. All of this is something that is under constant consideration and constant review.

The Commissioner has stated that the revised policing arrangements that are now in place will result in improved operational capacity while supporting the Garda Síochána's commitment to community policing. The objective is to ensure that the best possible policing service is delivered within all Garda divisions, including the Wexford division, through the introduction of revised policing structures and the efficient deployment of available resources. We cannot continue policing in the second decade of the 21st century, when we have improved technology, better transport systems and better communication systems, in the same way as we did in 1922, 1932 or even the 1990s.

The world has moved on and it is the job of the Garda Commissioner to take account of needs in particular areas. I understand the genuine nature of the Senator's concern. Burglary is an area of concern to everyone. Crime is substantially down in 12 of the 14 crime categories. In 2011, before a single district was reorganised or a single Garda station closed, there was a spike in burglaries while crime was down in other categories. The efficacy of targeted operations has been established by Operation Fiacla, which the Garda Commissioner established in the spring of 2012. In the period from April to December of 2012, the targeted operation led to 3,500 arrests, with nearly 2,000 individuals charged and brought before the courts. That has been facilitated by a targeted operation identifying the individuals engaged in burglary and aggravated burglaries. The operation targeted certain mobile gangs travelling around the country, targeting individuals in particular counties over a period of days and then moving on elsewhere. This is what new policing is involved in, targeting those engaged in crime and trying to do what is possible in the area of crime prevention and detecting those who commit crime.

Arising out of the community alert and neighbourhood watch event held today, we have over 3,500 groupings engaged across urban and rural Ireland. We could and should have a great deal more. There is a need for communities in rural Ireland to engage in community alert schemes. Assistance is available within the Garda Síochána. Any area without a community alert scheme can benefit from the establishment of one with the assistance of the local community garda or Garda liaison officer. New systems can be put in place to facilitate people who feel threatened in isolated areas to co-ordinate and co-operate with one another and ensure that, where they have suspicions about individuals in the community, people can be alerted. The community text alert scheme, which has been set up on a pilot basis, has proved very successful. Instead of unnecessarily causing alarm in communities and causing people to believe they will be at greater risk because of station closures, I urge Senators, Deputies and colleagues in all parties to assure people it means more members of the Garda force will be available in patrol cars and engaged in community policing rather than sitting in stations. Members should encourage communities and individuals to volunteer for the community alert and neighbourhood watch schemes and to co-ordinate and co-operate with the Garda Síochána. My Department provides funding to assist in these areas. The schemes can be of substantial benefit to assist the Garda Síochána in reducing crime, particularly burglary. There are 13,400 members in the Garda Síochána and we cannot have a garda standing outside the gate or door of every person in every part of the country. No matter how good the policing is and how we reform and restructure the Garda Síochána, we will always have bad people intent on criminality and bad people with no conscience who are prepared to brutalise the young and the elderly for their financial gain. One of the great methods of assistance and benefit to the Garda Síochána is local communities providing information and taking action to prevent crime.

The Seanad adjourned at 3.35 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 5 February 2013.

Seanad Éireann díospóireacht - Thursday, 31 Jan 2013