Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 Feb 2006

Vol. 614 No. 1

Adjournment Debate.

Hospital Closures.

Mr. Connolly

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter for debate. Obviously I would have concerns about the proposed closure of St. Davnet's Hospital in Monaghan.

I have to acknowledge that the need for vast psychiatric institutions does not exist because over the years numbers have fallen dramatically in such institutions, nationally and in St. Davnet's Hospital, Monaghan. The profile of patients within the hospital has changed as well. Effectively, there is an ageing psycho-geriatric population and an admission unit, although the admission unit comprises more first-time admissions.

Service delivery has changed to community-based service, as proposed by the report, Planning for the Future, quite a number of years ago. That community-based service is in existence. It is a fact of life and it is working well.

Recently another report, A Vision for Change, was published. Most of what was contained in Planning for the Future has been reprinted in A Vision for Change. While it envisages community-based services, there are a couple of issues in A Vision for Change about which I have major concerns. One of them is the proposal to close psychiatric admission units. The proposal is for one 50-bed admission unit per 300,000 of the population. This will have serious implications for the health service. It is a crazy proposal, a retrograde step. It puts us back in time, into an institutional form of care and admission units. It is not personal. It is not a good form of service. It baffles me how anyone could recommend what would obviously be an overcrowded 50-bed admission unit to treat acutely ill patients. It is difficult to understand how anybody could recommend more than 18 to 20 persons in an admission unit. They should look at that again.

We all know that the ethos of psychiatric treatment is to treat the person in the home initially, the community next, the day centre then and an admission unit thereafter, which is preferably close to home. Planning for the Future was all about bringing services to the people, not taking services away from them, which is what this involves. We will not even have an admission unit in Cavan/Monaghan if these proposals go ahead. This is occurring at a time when there is an increasing need for such services. Suicide rates are increasing and there is pressure on society generally. It is not the correct move to make. It is not a well thought through move.

While there is a proposal to sell St. Davnet's Hospital, we are proud that the World Health Organisation has adopted the Cavan/Monaghan model of care as best practice, one to be followed and copied internationally. We should take a closer look at that.

The St. Davnet's complex is like a village or campus. It contains quite a number of services other than the psychiatric hospital. It is a thriving community. It includes two community hostels, three private houses, a local health unit, the headquarters of the health care services for County Monaghan, a day centre training unit for the intellectually disabled, a residential intellectual disability unit, Enable Ireland which the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, opened a short time ago, a third level education centre, an occupation unit, a sheltered industrial therapy unit, a 40-bed nursing home, day centres, day hospitals, laundries, admission units and psycho-geriatric units. A large volume of day patients are using this service. The service there is operating effectively and we should not ignore that it has been adopted as a model of care by the World Health Organisation.

One could sell these hostels and there would be a short-term gain, but we should look again at this policy of selling off the family silver such as excellent sites in the centre of towns. There is an undesirable practice within the health service of renting premises. Many Departments throughout the public service rent, rather than purchase, premises. This is a fantastic site, located in the centre of a town, which could possibly be sold off. We should be getting back to the Departments and asking whether they have need of a greenfield site, whether there is a need for an Irish school in Monaghan, for a theatre or for a third level college which could be built on the complex. It would offer a fantastic greenfield site for decentralisation. Selling should not be top of the agenda.

We should take another look. If there is a better location for a psychiatric unit they should consider it. In the case of St. Davnet's, however, such a better option does not exist. It is a fantastic site, a lovely leafy place with lawns, a private and dignified place for somebody who is ill and a good environment to facilitate recovery. If the Minister of State can get a better location in a general hospital, he may opt for it but I do not believe one exists.

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. T. O’Malley)

I thank Deputy Connolly for raising this matter.

I welcome the publication of A Vision for Change which outlines an exciting vision of the future for mental health services in Ireland and sets out a famework for action to achieve it over the next seven to ten years. This report is the first comprehensive review of mental health policy since Planning for the Future was published in 1984 and has been accepted by Government as the basis for the future development of mental health policy.

A Vision for Change recommends that specialist expertise should be provided by community mental health teams, CMHTs, expanded multidisciplinary teams of clinicians who work together to serve the needs of service users across their lifespan. Community mental health teams should serve defined populations and age groups and operate from community-based mental health centres in specific sectors throughout re-configured mental health catchment areas. Some of these CMHTs should be established on a regional or national basis to address the complex mental health needs of specific categories of people who are few in number but who require particular expertise.

Recent years have seen dramatic changes in both the concept and innovative practice of mental health care delivery in the Cavan/Monagahan mental health service. These changes have been very much in line with the model of service provision now recommended by the expert group.

The focus of mental health service provision in Cavan/Monaghan is to work towards a community-based model of care, supporting, caring for, and treating people with mental illness who are living in their own communities. This is being achieved through a range of services, which include out-patient clinics, day hospitals, home visits, community residences and supported accommodation as well as working in collaboration with voluntary organisations. This approach to care delivery has resulted in a sharp decline in the number of acute inpatient admissions to the admission unit at St. Davnet's Hospital. A Vision for Change envisions an active, flexible and community-based mental health service where the need for hospital admission will be greatly reduced. This has already taken place to a great extent in Cavan-Monaghan, as I have outlined. The expert group stated in the report:

Mental hospitals have been the mainstay of mental health services in Ireland for many years. However, the type of person-centred, recovery-oriented care recommended cannot be provided in institutions of this size or environment in the future.

On that basis, the group has recommended that steps be taken to bring about the closure of all the remaining psychiatric hospitals which are a legacy of a bygone age and to re-invest the resources released by these closures in the mental health services.

The closure of the large mental hospitals and the move to modern units attached to general hospitals, together with the expansion of community services, has been Government policy since the publication of Planning for the Future in 1984. Several large psychiatric hospitals around the country have already been closed, including Our Lady's in Cork, St. Patrick's in CastIerea, St. Columba's in Sligo, St. Mary's in Castlebar and Our Lady's in Ennis. The reorganisation of services which these closures entailed has resulted in the expansion of community facilities, new acute psychiatric units in some cases and most importantly an overall improvement in the delivery of services for the service users, their families and carers.

Most of the remaining stand-alone psychiatric hospitals cater in the main for long-stay patients, many of whom are over 65 years of age. This is also the case at St. Davnet's Hospital, Monaghan, where the majority of patients are cared for in elderly care wards.

The report recommends that a plan be drawn up for the phased closure of each of the hospitals. It is recommended that this plan consist of a four-stage process: identify measures required to enable admissions to cease and put these measures in place; cease admissions to the hospital and draw up plans for relocation of existing patients; implement plans for the relocation of existing patients; and final closure of the hospital. This process should take place on a phased basis with wards closing sequentially and will require funding for training and upskilling of staff who will then be redeployed to work within the mental health services provided in the community.

The Health Service Executive has welcomed the publication of this report and stated that the national mental heaIth directorate within the HSE will immediately establish an implementation group to ensure the recommendations are realised in a timely and co-ordinated manner. The HSE has also emphasised that hospitals can close only when the clinical needs of the remaining patients have been addressed in more appropriate settings.

The Government is fully committed to the implementation of this report, which has been accepted as the basis for the future development of mental health services. This is Government policy and has been accepted widely by service users and carers in the service. I hope the level of debate in future will enhance the services for people with mental illnesses and that no one will try to exploit the vulnerability of mental health patients.

Job Losses.

Mr. M. Moynihan

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise the announcement last Friday of the closure by Irish Pride of its plant in Kanturk. This results in the loss of 76 full-time and 20 part-time jobs in the town.

This bakery started out as Keating's Bakery until Irish Pride took it over in 1997. Many generations of Kanturk people have worked in the industry which provided much needed employment in the town since 1914 when Keating's Bakery first opened. The closure has baffled the workers. I spoke to many of them on Friday evening and to management and local people over the weekend. They do not know why Irish Pride closed the Kanturk bakery although it was the first bakery and one of the only ones to receive the ISO 9002 award.

Yesterday on the local radio station the shop steward spoke of the shock, dismay and anger of the workers. Many of the workers who heard the news at 4 p.m. on Friday have mortgages and borrowings, and spending commitments for education and so on. It is a terrible blow to them and also to the people of Kanturk.

For some time people in the area surrounding Kanturk have been baffled by the failure of State agencies to attract industry into the area. Over the past eight or nine years I have been in constant contact with the then Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the State agencies, and more recently with the current Minister, Deputy Martin. I brought the chief executive officers of the main State agencies, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, there to try to advance the issue of creating jobs in Kanturk.

I am delighted the Minister is taking the debate in person tonight. What efforts have these State agencies made to market Kanturk? There is a great deal of employment in the surrounding towns, Millstreet, Charleville, Newmarket and Mallow. Unfortunately, we seem to have a serious problem attracting employment into Kanturk, the capital of the Duhallow region, one of the oldest and largest baronies in the country. It has a central location, although many years ago people did not think so. However it is close to Cork city, Tralee, Limerick and to the airports in Cork and Farranfore and the port of Cork. It is baffling that it is unable to sustain employment.

In 2000, after the Government announced its decision to consider towns as locations for decentralisation I made a submission to the Department of Finance suggesting Kanturk for this programme. Great credit is due to the Government for announcing its inclusion in the decentralisation programme, but that was two years ago. We need to move that agenda forward, particularly in light of the closure of the Irish Pride bakery and bring jobs into Kanturk.

I appeal to the Minister and all the agencies under the aegis of his Department to get together. I spoke on Friday afternoon to the new assistant county manager in charge of north Cork and to many agencies since then. As somebody said at the weekend it is time to get off the fence, take the finger out and take action for Kanturk. The town has many attractions as one of the central towns of Duhallow. I am fed up listening to people say they are marketing the town and so forth. It is time for real action. We need to reassure the workers who left Irish Pride on Friday evening that all the State agencies, the Government and I as a local representative, are doing all that we can to ensure employment is found for this wonderful town and people.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Mr. Martin)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I too was very concerned to hear that Irish Pride Bakeries Limited in Kanturk had announced that it was closing with the loss of 76 full-time and 20 part-time jobs.

I am conscious of the effect these job losses will have on the workers involved and their families, as well as the community in the surrounding area. This is very disappointing news for those who will lose their jobs given the long history of the bakery as outlined by Deputy Moynihan.

The State agencies will provide every support they can. The priority will be to find alternative employment for those involved. The job losses will be in production and administration but ten distribution jobs will be maintained. The reason for the closure is that it is no longer viable for the company to continue, as the Kanturk bakery is loss-making and is no longer a viable production unit. The company was reviewing the situation for some time and, unfortunately, has arrived at this decision.

The industry has changed significantly in the past few years in response to more competitive market conditions. In view of the bakery's lack of viability, main-line production items will be transferred to Irish Pride's other plants in County Wexford and County Mayo. The company is consulting employees' representatives regarding the proposed redundancies and consultations will continue over the coming weeks. The decision to close is no reflection on the workforce but rather a recognition of the commercial realities of operating in the bread market and the company's decision.

The role of FÁS, the State training agency, will be particularly important in assisting those who are to lose their jobs. The agency has contacted the company, and a meeting has been arranged for Friday next. The full range of services will be made available to the affected workers and we urge them to avail themselves of them. FÁS has worked to great effect on similar situations in other localities where this has occurred. Finding alternative employment for the workers will be a priority for the State development agencies. I assure Deputies that IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, in addition to FÁS, will play their part in developing a way forward for the affected workers and the surrounding area.

Enterprise Ireland supported an initiative for the bakery in Kanturk under its Techstart programme in 1998. The agency's policy for the bakery sector is to support those companies that are exporting or demonstrating the capability to be able to service export markets. Enterprise Ireland also provides supports to the sector through research and development initiatives. The company has invested €10 million in Taghmon, County Wexford, which includes a new state-of-the-art plant that is doubling its capacity to produce a world-class range of products.

I know that IDA Ireland is promoting north Cork to potential investors from across the full range of its targeted sectors such as pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, information and communications technologies and internationally traded services. Every effort will be made to secure new, advanced, knowledge-based industry for the area. The agency's strategy for the county is to advance the development of a knowledge economy so that the region can compete both nationally and internationally for foreign direct investment and to work with the existing IDA Ireland client base to help them to develop further their presence in County Cork.

The recognition of the importance of Cork city as a major gateway location and Mallow as a hub will assist in promoting the entire region for inward investment. The town of Kanturk is marketed as part of the broader north Cork area. While IDA Ireland has only one client company in Kanturk, Packo Blackwater, which employs 32 people, it also has a land holding of 2.6 hectares available to both indigenous and overseas companies. Alps Electric, based in nearby Millstreet, which employs approximately 450 people, announced an expansion of its operation in December 2005, with the creation of 140 new jobs. I met the personnel and management of Alps Electric last year, when they came to see us. Other significant IDA Ireland-supported employers in the north Cork area include Molex in Millstreet, FCI and Sanmina SCI in Fermoy, and Kostal in Mallow.

I know that the loss of any full-time or part-time job is a severe blow to the Kanturk area. While I in no way wish to underestimate the loss of the bakery jobs, I am encouraged about the future in so far as County Cork is concerned. Already in 2006, two new projects have been announced for Cork which will result in 1,350 new jobs at full production. The recent Amgen announcement of 1,100 new jobs at an €820 million facility is of particular importance. That major global project has chosen Cork as its development location. In addition, Citco will create 250 new financial services jobs.

I am confident that the ongoing efforts of the industrial development agencies and local interests will continue to provide investment and job opportunities for Cork city and county. I will work with the Deputies and representatives from the local area to do all we possibly can to secure alternative industry for the Kanturk area.

Tribunals of Inquiry.

Mr. Broughan

Next Tuesday marks the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies in the history of this State, the deaths of 48 young people in the Stardust club in Artane, Dublin 5. Most of those victims came from the ward and constituency that I have represented for the past 15 years. The publication of the tribunal of inquiry report in June 1982 was marked by incredulity on the part of many of the victims' families. Despite modest payments to victims and relatives' families in the mid-1980s, there has always been a sense of injustice and lack of closure among the people of Coolock, Raheny and the adjoining districts that I represent.

Those feelings have intensified in recent years. The book They Never Came Home by two distinguished young north-side journalists, Mr. Tony McCullagh and Mr. Neil Fetherstonhaugh, raised serious questions about the Stardust tribunal’s investigations of the club’s electrical system and the seat of the fire’s outbreak. The book is, of course, the basis of a two-part film made by RTE that will be shown this Sunday and Monday.

Approximately two years ago, I became aware that the Stardust victims' committee had commissioned a new report from Ms Geraldine Foy to re-examine the key conclusions of the Stardust tribunal. That report rejected the conclusion that the fire had been started deliberately and seriously challenged the Stardust tribunal inquiry about the location and cause of the fire. Arising from that later report, a delegation of Stardust victims' relatives and I met Mr. Seán Aylward, Secretary General of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and his principal officer, Mr. Noel Sinnott, in November 2004. The Stardust committee and its advisers walked out of the meeting in dismay at the officials' indication that the establishment of a further tribunal of inquiry could not be recommended. However, the Minister, Deputy McDowell, stated that any material submitted by the solicitor for the Stardust relatives might be reviewed by the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Tonight I call again for the establishment of a new tribunal of inquiry into the Stardust fire of 1981. The works referred to above and new information that has become available make the conclusions of the Keane Stardust tribunal report, which I have here, untrustworthy, unfair and unsafe. Some of the key points that must be re-examined include the following. First, there was a clear conflict of interest in the appointment of the fire research station of the UK Department of the Environment as expert adviser to the tribunal, since it was working for Dublin Corporation at the time, a body with grave responsibility for the tragedy.

The Stardust was never inspected by the fire service and a litany of breaches of the building by-laws and public resort laws was revealed in the Keane report. Section 8.92 of the tribunal report states: "the practice of locking and chaining the exit doors until midnight at the earliest on disco night was not known to the Corporation". That statement is untrue. A few days ago a city council official rang me and informed me that he had reported to officials in the building controls section over three weeks before the catastrophe that exit doors had been locked late into the night at a function at which a friend had been present. It is further reported that a corporation staff party had been held in the Stardust the previous Christmas, 1980, and that the then Lord Mayor was present. That official was interviewed in the presence of the city architect by gardaí, yet the evidence does not seem to have reached the tribunal.

Third, conclusion 9.64 in the Keane tribunal report refers to serious shortcomings in the forensic examination by the gardaí and the Department of Justice, concluding that samples of material that might have been crucial were not taken and that important tests were not carried out. It is also clear that Mr. Eamon Butterly, the owner, and several of his staff seriously obstructed the Garda investigations. For those reasons alone, a new tribunal is essential.

Fourth, the Keane tribunal report concludes that there was no professional supervision of the electrical system in the reconstruction and fitting out of the Scott's Food factory that became the Stardust. However, the report disregarded compelling evidence relating to the electrical system and new research has challenged the tribunal's findings.

Fifth, in the light of those new findings and much testimony that is clearly present in the Stardust tribunal's report of 1982 from disco-goers and outside witnesses, it now seems clear that the fire began in the store room and spread through the roof space until it exploded over the dancers. Mr. Justice Keane concluded:

the cause of the fire is not known and may never be known. There is no evidence of an accidental origin and equally no evidence that the fire was started deliberately.

That was point 6.139 of the report. However, with such conflicting evidence, it bizarrely concluded that the most probable cause was that the fire had been deliberately started in the west alcove and not in the roof space.

Sixth, it is incredible that no one has ever been brought to account for the Stardust tragedy. The owner, Mr. Eamon Butterly, was severely criticised for his actions, but why was no prosecution pursued? The city management of the day was never called to account for its failure to implement even the existing planning and building and public resort by-laws.

As we approach the 25th anniversary of this appalling disaster, no counselling service has ever been provided for the survivors or relatives of victims. Recent media reports confirm that several families have suffered because their loved ones have never been identified. Many people ask why the most modern forensic techniques cannot be used to put those citizens' minds at rest at last. Relatives and survivors to whom I have spoken continue to ask for justice so that they can find some measure of closure regarding this horrific disaster. Such closure can come only when the issues outlined above, among others, are addressed. The most practical way to do that is for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, and the Government to launch a new Stardust tribunal of inquiry.

Mr. T. O’Malley

On behalf of the Minister, Deputy McDowell, I thank Deputy Broughan for raising this important matter this evening. I am sure that the entire House joins the Minister and me in expressing our sympathy and support for the families as the anniversary of the tragedy approaches. I fully understand the families' concerns regarding the background to the tragedy, and the Minister and the Department will assist them in any way they can. It is for that reason that officials from the Department have met representatives of the families on several occasions in recent years. These discussions led in 2004 to the presentation to the Department of a submission prepared on behalf of the Stardust victims committee and which examined a range of issues relating to the fire and its investigation. This submission was forwarded to the Garda Commissioner and to the forensic science laboratory for examination as to whether it constituted new evidence or material otherwise not dealt with by the tribunal of inquiry. Both the Garda Commissioner and the forensic science laboratory responded to the Department stating that the report contained no new evidence.

More specifically, the forensic science laboratory concluded that the report in question amounted to a different interpretation of matters already brought to the attention of the tribunal and not new evidence. Similarly, the Garda response concluded that no new evidence was forthcoming that would warrant the Garda Síochána revisiting the investigation and that all the matters raised in the report had been adequately addressed by the tribunal of inquiry.

A meeting was subsequently held in November 2004 between the Stardust victims committee and officials of the Department, including the Secretary General of the Department who attended on behalf of the Minister. The committee was informed of the views of the Garda Commissioner and the forensic science laboratory and advised that in the absence of compelling new evidence, the establishment of a further tribunal of inquiry could not be recommended.

The Minister is of the view it is important to note that the original inquiry carried out by the former Chief Justice was a substantial and extensive examination with comprehensive terms of reference. It sat for 122 days and heard evidence from 363 witnesses, 161 of whom were present in the building on the night of the fire. The tribunal had available to it a range of national and international expertise in matters relating to fire safety and building construction and detailed forensic and pathology evidence was also heard.

In drawing attention to the extent of the original inquiry, the Minister's intention is not to suggest that it cannot be revisited but rather to highlight that the grounds for doing so would have to be substantial. At the November meeting it was, however, made clear to the delegation that any further submission they or their representatives wished to make would be carefully examined. The present situation is that no new information has been brought to the Department's attention since then and that there is essentially no further advice that the Department can give to the families other than that conveyed at the meeting in November 2004.

It remains the cases that any submission received will be examined and in that light the Department has forwarded recent correspondence from the committee to the forensic science laboratory for its observations. The Minister's Department will keep the committee fully informed of any developments arising out from this and he will meet a delegation from the families if there is some new information or advice he can usefully give.

Garda Deployment.

Mr. McGinley

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important and serious matter.

It is not alarmist to state that Lifford has fallen victim to a crime wave. In recent weeks, there has been a spate of criminality, most notably a succession of fires of a suspicious nature, with property damage estimated at more than €1 million and six houses burned out. On top of these arson attacks, criminal incidents have included the desecration of a graveyard, a number of armed robberies, cars burned out, a shooting, a stabbing and a litany of incidents of anti-social behaviour.

It is quite clear that the crime problem in the area has escalated in recent times and the mostly law-abiding local residents must be fearful for their safety. Because Lifford is a Border town, some of the incidents are cross-Border intrusions and the criminals perpetrate their attacks and simply retreat back across the Border. As Lifford Garda station does not operate on a 24-hour basis, these criminals believe they can operate with impunity. The answer is obviously an increase in Garda numbers to tackle this very worrying growth in criminal activity.

The present total Garda strength in Lifford is approximately 12 to 13 personnel. Not alone must they cover the Lifford station area but they must also give cover to the sub-station areas of Castlefinn, Raphoe and Carrigans. These stations are only open a limited number of hours daily. This means that outside the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Lifford station is more often closed than open. Such a situation creates a vacuum which certain people are only too willing to exploit.

Until recently, Lifford Garda station had a complement of upwards of 50 gardaí and this was as a result of the security situation across the bridge in Northern Ireland. Very few towns in County Donegal or indeed in Ireland, had a more visible Garda presence than Lifford. Since the cessation of paramilitary operations in Northern Ireland, Lifford Garda station has been drastically downgraded to its present strength. There are so few gardaí on duty with such a huge area to cover that there is a virtual breakdown of communications between the local population and the Garda authorities. What is the point in going to the Garda station to report a crime when there is no one there to whom to report it?

The criminal incidents in Lifford in recent times are not of a minor nature, being in the first category of violent crime. Arson is a serious crime because not alone is property destroyed, there can also be loss of innocent lives. The same goes for armed robbery. The people in Lifford feel isolated, vulnerable and exposed to these attacks.

There have been incidents of desecration of holy places, personal attacks with the intent of injuring or maiming, the burning of cars, shootings, stabbings and other anti-social behaviour that cannot and should not be tolerated. The majority of the population of Lifford abhor and condemn these acts. Condemnation is one thing but prevention is another. Garda numbers in Lifford Garda station must be increased to a strength where the station can be open on a 24-hour basis. There can be no short cuts.

I appeal to the Minister, the Government and the Garda authorities to address this escalating crime situation before it gets out of hand. Prevention is better than cure. This matter must be addressed urgently. The business community in Lifford feels vulnerable and unprotected. No one can predict when the next armed hold-up will take place. So far it is fortunate there has been no loss of life but where firearms are used, anything can happen. It is better to act now than to wait until it is too late.

Lifford is a good town with good people. It is the administrative capital of County Donegal and it is an historic town. We are proud of its architectural and administrative heritage. We owe it to the residents of the town and its hinterland to end this spate of criminality before it gets completely out of hand. I appeal to the Minister, the Minister of State and the Government to address this problem and to ensure the Garda station in Lifford has the personnel to provide a 24-hour presence so criminality can be addressed before it gets out of hand.

Mr. T. O’Malley

I thank Deputy McGinley for raising this matter. I am speaking on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, who unfortunately is unable to be present. I assure the Deputy the Minister and I share his concerns about recent incidents in Lifford.

Before commenting on the particular matter identified by the Deputy, it would be helpful to put the issue of crime into perspective. The level of headline crime in 2005 is lower than that for 2003 by 1.6% and for 2002 by 4.4%. Furthermore, in 1995, with a population of almost 3.6 million people, there were 29 crimes per 1,000 of the population, while in 2005, with a population of over 4.1 million, there were 24.6 crimes per 1,000 of the population.

It is also important to put on the record that headline crime for the Lifford area in 2005 was actually 12% lower than in 2004. However, the Minister has expressed his disappointment that there was an overall increase of 2.78% in headline crime in 2005 and he does not play down his concerns in that regard. The Minister is giving the highest priority to providing the resources to the Garda Síochána to tackle crime. He takes great satisfaction in the Government's decision of October 2004 to approve the recruitment of 2,000 additional gardaí to increase the strength of the force to 14,000. As a result, there will be a combined organisational strength of both attested gardaí and recruits in training of 14,000 by the end of this year.

The Minister has repeatedly promised that the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties but will be put directly into frontline, operational, high-visibility policing. The Minister is also pleased that the Garda Síochána is now better resourced than at any time in its history. The funding for the Garda, which the Minister secured in the Estimates for 2006, is at a historic high of over €1.29 billion, compared to just €600 million in 1997. The provision for Garda overtime in 2006 will be €83.5 million, an increase of €23 million on the allocation for last year. This increase will greatly aid the planned deployment of a visible policing service in a flexible, effective and targeted response to criminal activity and in crime prevention generally. The €83.5 million in overtime will yield 2.725 million extra hours of policing by uniformed and special units throughout the State.

The first incremental increase of newly attested gardaí due to the programme of accelerated recruitment into the Garda Síochána will take place next month. During the allocation of the newly attested personnel, the needs of the Donegal division will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda divisions throughout the country. Strong provisions are already in place to combat anti-social and unlawful behaviour. The primary basis for the law regarding public order offences is the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, which modernised the law in this regard.

Because of the Minister's concerns about the abuse of alcohol and its contribution to public order offending and broader social problems, he has brought forward tough new provisions in the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 to deal with alcohol abuse and its effect on public order. Furthermore, the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 2003 provides the Garda Síochána with additional powers to deal with late night street violence and anti-social conduct attributable to excessive drinking.

The Minister has recently published the general scheme of the intoxicating liquor Bill 2005. The main purpose of the proposed Bill is to streamline and modernise our liquor licensing laws and it will also contain provisions which will combat anti-social behaviour.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister recently published his legislative proposals to deal with anti-social behaviour, including provision for anti-social behaviour orders. The Minister proposes to introduce these proposals by way of Committee Stage amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill 2004, which is currently before the House.

The Minister attaches great importance to the development of a real partnership between the Garda Síochána and local authorities on matters affecting policing. His intention and that of the Oireachtas, as set out in the Garda Síochána Act 2005, is that joint policing committees and local policing fora established under them will provide arenas where the Garda Síochána and local authorities can work together to address local policing and other issues.

Before addressing the particular issues raised by the Deputy, it is important to re-state that headline crime in Lifford fell by 12% in 2005 compared to 2004. The Minister has been informed by the Garda authorities that the incidents raised by the Deputy are currently under investigation by an investigation team compromising members of detective branch and uniform members under the direction of the district officer at Letterkenny. An incident room has been set up in Letterkenny Garda station to co-ordinate the investigation of these incidents.

The Minister is assured that all available resources are being deployed in the Lifford area to respond to the current policing demands and with a view to ensuring a concentrated and visible Garda presence in the area, with additional patrols being performed by uniformed officers, detective branch and the traffic corps. Members of the Garda Síochána patrol the area on a 24-hour basis.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.15 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 8 February 2006.