Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment and I appreciate the Minister of State taking the time to reply.
The Minister will be aware of the recent incident in Waterford city involving a young boy, Ian Swan. I do not intend using the five minutes available to me to go into the details of that incident which are well known. No society, and certainly not my community of Waterford city and county, would tolerate such an act being perpetrated at any level. The child in the case referred to was exceptionally lucky to escape with his life. That incident does not represent the wholesome activity and involvement of that community in the many issues relating to the well-being of their area. One or two incidents of this nature can depict a picture of an area that simply does not exist.
I want to be circumspect in dealing with the general matters that are coming to a head because the vast majority of people living in the Ballybeg area of Waterford are actively involved within their community. I am thinking of St. Saviour's, the hurling and football club, the soccer club, other community developments within the area and the community project operated under ADM. The community puts enormous effort into the well-being of the area but, for some time, there has been a growth of sinister activities within that area perpetrated by a few people. While those acts are certainly intolerable by any standards, we must now deal with them. I commend the gardaí who have been involved in this area for some time. The Minister will be aware there is a high level of unemployment and social disadvantage that is obviously compounding the problems in the area.
I wish to raise the issue of the need to locate a Garda substation in that general area. I was astonished to find out that the number of gardaí based in Waterford, the fifth city of the country, is the second lowest ratio of gardaí per head of population in Waterford city. The gardaí themselves are aware of that also. The area to which I am referring is the Ballybeg, Lisduggan, Larchville and Lismore Park which has a population of 16,000. I hope the Department of Justice will respond to my request by locating a new Garda substation in that area.
There is only one other substation in the city which happens to be in the area in which I live. It is an old substation but one can see the fruits of the Garda involvement in the local community. They live in the community and are aware of everything that is going on. The people of Ballybeg and that general area have consistently requested me and other public representatives to raise the issue of a Garda presence in the area. Surely a population of 16,000 warrants a local Garda station.
The provision for the new Garda substation should not come out of existing resources. The gardaí in Waterford are stretched to the absolute limit. There is only one garda permanently involved in the neighbourhood watch scheme in that area, he does a tremendous job, but it is like trying to keep the tide back with a pitchfork — because of the resources currently available.
We need additional resources, more gardaí in general in the city but, specifically, a Garda substation to be constructed in that area as a matter of urgency with proper resources available to it in terms of manpower and all the other facilities required to run a first class professional facility that is deserved by the people of that area.
I hope the Minister of State will convey to the Minister, who I accept cannot be here this evening, my views on this matter. I have been circumspect this evening but I would be happy to outline many cases in more detail for the Minister if so required.
