Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 Dec 1998

Vol. 498 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - Garda Deployment.

Mr. U. Burke

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter for discussion and I thank the Minister for coming before the House to take it.

I wish to raise the issue of the inadequate man-power and resources available to the Garda authorities in south Galway, with specific reference to the towns of Gort, Athenry and Kinvara. Events in south Galway last weekend have precipitated widespread concern in the community. A member of the Garda Síochána was attacked and seriously assaulted when rival gangs of outsiders caused a serious disturbance in the town. The garda was struck with an iron bar and received serious injuries when he tried to break up a disturbance.

On the night in question, only two gardaí were on duty, a totally inadequate number to serve the town and district. There is no substitute for an active Garda presence in an area. The presence of and access to Garda assistance provides an important sense of protection to the population in any area, but particularly to elderly people living in rural districts. The provision of a one-man car protection system from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. is totally inadequate and can be dangerous, not only for the garda involved but also for the community at large.

Gort is a district Garda headquarters and, if these are the only resources available, I call on the Minister to urgently review the needs of the area in terms of increasing Garda numbers and resources. In Athenry, which has a population of over 2,000 people, there is no Garda presence from 10 p.m. until early morning. All that is provided is a call out system in the form of a "green man" alert button on the door of the Garda barracks. It takes gardaí from Galway city, who cover the area at night, a minimum of 45 minutes to respond to a call. Must the communities in these areas live in fear despite the Government's policy of zero tolerance?

Will the Minister indicate what he intends to do to improve this intolerable situation? What plans does he have to deploy additional gardaí in order that members of the public can rest assured that they can go about their business in safety? Will the Minister provide a 24 hour service in Athenry? High visibility uniformed gardaí on patrol and good community relations could resolve the problems in these areas. The people of south Galway deserve from the State the minimum protection afforded by a good Garda presence. Were it not for the existence of the neighbourhood watch system in the area, what could the community there expect by way of Garda protection?

There is public disquiet in many areas of south Galway regarding the absence of a Garda presence. Only 58 per cent of gardaí are deployed on regular uniform duties such as walking a beat, going on mobile patrols and carrying out station duties. Surely responsibility for a number of the non-operational duties currently undertaken by gardaí could be given to other bodies and individuals in order to release additional gardaí for patrolling duties.

If the Minister fails to provide adequate Garda services and resources in the area in question, the least he should do is resurrect the old system whereby roadblocks were put in place to stop mobile gangs entering areas and terrorising rural communities. It is unfortunate that these gangs are now visiting towns and causing the kind of disturbance which led to a garda being seriously injured last weekend. Will the Minister review this matter urgently and make every possible resource available to the Garda in the area to which I refer in order to ensure that there will not be a recurrence of this problem? The area is inhabited by peaceable people and disturbances of this kind have never occurred there before. I hope the Minister will respond positively in terms of dealing with this emerging problem.

Mr. O'Donoghue

I thank Deputy Burke for his contribution on this important issue. It is not unusual for areas to seek increased Garda man-power and resources in view of their effectiveness in tackling crime and providing a deterrent against would-be criminals. This is perfectly understandable and is a reflection of the importance people attach to the visible presence of the Garda. We must, however, readily admit that resources are finite and it is, therefore, incumbent on us to make the best use of the resources at our disposal. Among the factors we need to take into account are the level of crime, the population and geography of an area. Moving additional Garda resources into one area means that other areas are deprived of those resources.

As the Deputy is aware, the Garda authorities are responsible for the detailed deployment of Garda personnel and resources to individual areas. They have advised me that in the past year there has only been one incident in the Gort Garda district that could be described as quite serious. This occurred on Saturday last, 12 December 1998, at approximately 2.40 a.m., when an altercation between settled traveller family groups took place at the Square in the town of Gort. The incident lasted approximately five minutes and no person outside the family groups was involved. Three gardaí were on duty in the town and were present in the Square when the row erupted. A number of persons have been arrested and several interviewed. A file will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions and it will then be a matter for the DPP, as an independent officer, to decide what charges should be brought.

I will now deal with crime figures for the Galway West or Millstreet Garda district which includes Athenry and the Gort district — that includes Kinvara — for the period 1995 to 31 October 1998. The figures for Millstreet are included as Athenry is contained in that district.

The statistics relating to Millstreet show that a total of 2,180 offences were reported in 1995, with 876 of these being detected. These included offences against the person, burglary, robbery, larceny, forgery and others. A total of 2,011 offences were reported in 1996 with 873 detected; 1,381 in 1997 with 635 detected, and 1,131 to the end of October this year with 478 detected. These statistics show clearly that the number of crimes in the Millstreet district is steadily decreasing. The percentage detection rate for the area has increased from 40 per cent in 1995 to 42 per cent in 1998.

The statistics for Gort show a lower level of crime than in Millstreet. A total of 69 offences were reported in 1995 with 17 detected. These included offences against the person, burglary, robbery, larceny, forgery and others. A total of 66 offences were reported in 1996 with 27 detected; 87 in 1997 with 48 detected, and 100 to the end of October this year with 40 detected. The percentage detection rate for Gort has increased from 25 per cent in 1995 to 40 per cent in 1998.

The staffing strength of the Gort Garda district, including Kinvara, is 33. The staffing strength of Athenry Garda station is three and the Galway West Garda district, including Athenry, is 162. The only reduction in staffing strength in the Gort, Kinvara and Athenry areas is in Athenry where a sergeant retired last month. I understand from the Garda authorities that community alert schemes operate in each of these areas.

The Garda authorities have advised me that they are satisfied that the current deployment of resources in the area is adequate in meeting present policing needs. The situation, however, will be kept under review. If the Deputy has a further point that he wishes to make or wishes me to consider, I will be happy to accept it.

When I took office the number of gardaí was far lower. At about 11,150, it is now at its highest level for a considerable period. There is a campaign under way to recruit 550 gardaí next year. With the recruitment this year, this is the first back-to-back major recruitment drive for many years.