Vol. 434 No. 6
6 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Justice when she will make an announcement on the implementation of the recommendations of the Interdepartmental Task Force report on North Clondalkin; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Following on from my reply to the Deputy on 17 June last, I can confirm that I have completed a review of the recommendations in this detailed report and I shall be placing my proposals for further action on the report before the Government very shortly. The implementation of the recommendations in the report involve several Government Departments, including my own Department and State agencies, as a consequence of the broadly based approach to the problem of urban crime and disorder, which was adopted by the interdepartmental group.
I welcome the Minister's reply that she intends to put proposals to the Government shortly. Would she agree that this report resulted from disorder in the Ronanstown area as far back as November 1991, that it came out in November 1992, that it is now October 1993 and that her reply does not indicate the degree of urgency required? I agree that it is not only the Department of Justice that is involved but also a number of other Departments, such as Education and Social Welfare. However, the recommendations in the report concerning the Minister's own Department have not been implemented.
I would not like anybody to think that because I have not brought forward a report to Government in relation to the implementation of the report in total my own Department has not been implementing the recommendations in the report for which my Department is responsible. Deputy Currie will agree that my Department had fewer recommendations to implement than the other Departments and State agencies put together. First, the strength of Garda resources allocated to Ronanstown has been maintained, as was requested. There are 60 members currently attached to the station. As was requested in the report, gardaí engaged in community policing have not been diverted to other duties. Foot patrols and mobile units are being maintained. Facilities have been provided at the station for a juvenile liaison officer. A conference room facility is included in a major refurbishment programme for Ronanstown Garda Station. That facility was requested by the local community because they wanted a facility where they could discuss with the Garda Síochána on a regular basis the difficulties in the area. Funding which has been provided by my Department up to now, and which was provided by me this year, for the Graft project will continue. As Deputy Currie has acknowledged, a number of Government Departments, such as Health, Social Welfare, Enterprise and Employment, the IDA, the corporation and others, have various recommendations to implement. They have to be implemented as part of an overall capital allocation by all those Departments. I should also acknowledge the fact that the Department of the Environment, with the local authority, have given a substantial sum of money for the provision of roundabouts to try to deal with the death riding difficulties in that area.
That reply is quite detailed. With your permission, Sir, it is necessary for me to reply to some of that detail. I am sorry to say that the Minister seems——
You must proceed by way of questions, Deputy.
——to be misinformed. As of this morning there were not 60 personnel in Ronanstown Garda Station but 58, which represents a reduction on the 1992 figure despite the commitment that Garda strength would be maintained.
I want to facilitate the Deputy in eliciting information but he must proceed by way of supplementary question.
Is the Minister aware that although she said a juvenile liaison officer is based at Ronanstown Garda station, that still has not happened and a juvenile liaison officer is not based there. Is she aware also that the commitment to have a mobile unit dedicated for use in Ronanstown between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. each evening has not been honoured either and that a mobile unit is not always available without assistance from other Garda stations? Is the Minister aware that the conference room, which she said was in place, has not yet been provided and only the plans have been——
The Deputy seems to be imparting a great deal of information rather than seeking it.
The Minister requires that information be imparted to her.
I urge the Deputy to conclude by way of a relevant supplementary question.
Some of the information in regard to Ronanstown Garda station is inaccurate. In view of that, will the Minister reconsider some of the other matters in the report in regard to which speedy action was promised, for example dealing with the hard core criminal element?
I have given the Deputy a great deal of latitude.
The Deputy was so eager to put his supplementary questions that he did not listen to my reply. The only point the Deputy raised that was at variance with what I said was that Garda management told me 60 members of the force are based at Ronanstown Garda station, while Deputy Currie said the figure is 58. I will confer with Garda management after Question Time to find out why I was given an incorrect figure, if that was the case. On the question of a juvenile liaison officer, the Deputy did not listen to my reply because I said a juvenile liaison office had been put in place in Ronanstown and that is a prerequisite to the appointment of a juvenile liaison officer. That was agreed many years ago with the representative associations. On the provision of a conference room facility, I said it was part of a package of refurbishment and the construction of an extension to Ronanstown Garda station and would be included then. I did not say that it is in place. That should answer the Deputy's supplementary questions.
The Minister's language was deliberate and I picked her up correctly. The commitment demanded was that a juvenile liaison officer be provided and not that a juvenile liaison office be put in place. Having admitted one mistake, will the Minister agree to make further inquiries and then return to the House to admit the other mistakes.
No, because there were no other mistakes. I remind Deputy Currie that in my initial reply I said that the implementation of the recommendations of the committee is a matter not just for my Department but for all Departments. A comprehensive report has to be made to Government and it will involve a substantial capital commitment from my colleagues' Departments as well as from my Department. That will be done in the discussions we are having with the Department of Finance on the Estimates.
After two years there has been very little progress.
