I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me this opportunity to raise this matter so soon after the occurrence. According to Garda estimates, on any fine holiday weekend we can expect as many as 30,000 people, day trippers or tourists, to visit County Wicklow. The vast majority are very welcome and always will be, but last weekend, which turned out to be a fine weekend and Brittas Bay was packed, some very unwelcome guests arrived. A number of young men and women who were obviously the worse for drink arrived in the area and a fracas took place in a restaurant and licensed premises where furniture was wrecked. The fight continued on the main road.
Visitors, young boys and girls and their parents, were frightened by the viciousness of these attacks which took place. Squad cars from Wicklow, Arklow and Gorey were summoned and upwards of a dozen gardaí were required to restore peace and sense. An ambulance had to be called because a number of people involved sustained injuries. In addition, a great deal of damage was done. Many people will visit Wicklow over the summer, particularly on fine weekends, and already we have incidents such as this but not to the same severity in Glendalough and Laragh. Unpleasant incidents have occurred in the Lough Dan area at the Glenmacnass Waterfall and in Rathnew where a woman and her daughter were threatened by people carrying knives and a bayonet type instrument. In Wicklow town a jewellery shop was totally cleaned out and vandalised in broad daylight. We believe this is the result of great activity by the Garda Síochána in Dublin in that some of these people find the pickings much easier in the towns surrounding the metropolis and outside the Garda Síochána metropolitan area. While we are delighted to hear of the improvement in the Dublin area, some of the vandalism and mayhem is being transferred to Wicklow. It is well known that a great many of the visitors are unaware of the problems that can result from these people, some of whom arrive on motorbikes and some of whom are backpackers. Indeed I believe that at the weekend two taxi loads came down from south County Dublin. I can assure Members that it was from that area because the Garda informed me they were from the Shankhill-Ballybrack area.
I would ask the Minister to ensure that special security arrangements are made for the very scenic areas of County Wicklow particularly Glendalough where up to 250,000 people visit in any one year, and indeed, around Lough Dan and the Glenmacnass area. A large number of visitors are attracted to the towns of Rathnew and Wicklow because of the facilities available. If we are to develop a tourism industry in a county like Wicklow we need the protection of the law to ensure that people can park their cars safely and walk the streets safely. We have not got a sufficient number of gardaí because the strength of the force is based on the population in the winter, which is about 95,000 but this increases to anything up to 150,000 at times during the summer months. The number of gardaí is sadly lacking and there are insufficient patrol cars. The Garda overtime is restricted and limits the number of gardaí available, particularly at weekends.
I take this opportunity — although I regret to have to use an occasion such as this in this way — to highlight the crime that is increasing in its intensity and that we expect will occur again and again if action is not taken to bring better Garda support to the Wicklow area.
In conclusion may I point out that the Barnderg Garda station which covered the Brittas Bay area was closed down a few years ago. There is no Garda station in Glendalough and only one patrol car is available at any time in the Wicklow area and it covers an area of about 23 to 25 miles. If the patrol car is in the Roundwood area and is needed in Brittas Bay, it can take quite a long time to get there. Thankfully, the Garda were available and were very quick to respond to the call from Brittas Bay. Action was taken and I am glad that there were no injuries or loss of life.
At the beginning of the summer season, however, I take this opportunity to ask the Minister to look at the need for additional policing in the Wicklow area.
