Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Feb 1993

Vol. 426 No. 2

Written Answers. - Ministerial Visit to Cork.

Bernard Allen

Question:

27 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Justice if she will list the delegations she met when she visited Cork city recently; if the practice of meeting delegations in the city Garda Headquarters in Anglesea Street, Cork is a new departure; and whether this procedure is supported by the Gardaí.

Bernard Allen

Question:

57 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Justice the steps, if any, she proposes to take to deal with the increasing crime rate in Cork city and county.

Máirín Quill

Question:

58 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Justice the commitments, if any, she gave to the Garda representatives she met during her recent visit to the Anglesea Street Division Headquarters in Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 57 and 58 together.

On Monday 8 February last, I visited Cork East Divisional Headquarters of the Garda Síochána at Anglesea Street, and in the course of my visit met with representatives of the following groups: Knocknaheeny Youth Club, St. Vincent's Hurling and Football Club, Muintir na Tire, Community representatives from the Mahon, Togher, Mayfield and Knocknaheeny areas of the City.

I also met with an interdepartmental group which was set up in Cork city last December to consider what input public authorities (apart from the Garda Síochána) might have in tackling Cork's underlying crime problems.

Anglesea Street station is a large modern building opened a few short years ago. It offered an ideally located city centre venue for the many groups who wished to speak with me about policing, crime etc. in Cork on the occasion of my first visit as Minister for Justice. In that sense, it was a "first", but I am not aware that it caused any feeling of resentment among the gardaí in Cork, and so I do not accept that it was something that should not have occurred, or should not be repeated. Indeed, I should add that I met some of the groups concerned at the instigation of local Garda management, and the community gardaí who liaise with these groups were present at the meeting in question.

As regards the discussions I had with the gardaí I met there, let me say that the local Garda management gave me a comprehensive briefing on crime in Cork and on policing difficulties being experienced in that city. The Garda authorities informed me that a specific plan of action was drawn up last year to deal with the crime problems being experienced in the Cork area. This plan includes the greater use and closer co-ordination of foot and mobile patrols, the frequent use of checkpoints at various locations at unpredictable intervals, the surveillance of suspects and the targeting of Garda resources to meet specific anti-crime needs in particular areas. In addition, Regional Crime conferences are held regularly between officers of the Minster Division to co-ordinate anti-crime activity in the area. Certain other specific measures have also been taken by the Garda authorities but it would not be in the interest of effective crime prevention or detection to provide any details in relation to them.

The Garda authorities also informed me that community based crime prevention schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch, Community Alert, the Juvenile Liaison Officer Scheme and the Garda Schools Programme, which was extended to Cork last year, are operating very successfully.

I assured the local management that they and the Garda Commissioner had my full support in their efforts to deal adequately with the problems they face as law enforces in a large modern city. I was in a position to inform them that eight additional gardaí were being assigned to Cork city later that week and that a substantial number of trainee gardaí would be assigned to Cork from the beginning of June. In addition, I undertook to review certain matters which the local Garda management consider militate against effective policing.