Vol. 858 No. 1
91. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on the continuing anti-social behaviour on the streets of Dublin; the actions she has taken to address the current challenges in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43958/14]
I introduce this question because there is a degree of denial within the Government in respect of anti-social behaviour, particularly in Dublin city centre and emanating into the broader Dublin region. This issue was raised with the Tánaiste during Leaders' Questions a number of weeks ago by my colleague Deputy Cowen. The Tánaiste was in complete denial about the situation in Dublin. It has been brought to our attention by all stakeholders. In particular, the report of the Garda Inspectorate backs up many of the criticisms and issues we have been raising with regard to crime and reclassification. It is in that context that I put this question.
The Deputy did not ask about the issue of classification, but I will address some of the points he raised in respect of it.
I do, of course, appreciate the concerns that the Deputy has raised, and I am conscious of the perspectives of business and community interests with regard to the effects of certain types of crime and anti-social behaviour on the overall environment for all who live and work in and visit our capital city. It is an absolute priority that we get that environment right. It is widely acknowledged, and I think the Deputy would acknowledge, that these challenges have their origin in a range of social phenomena, including drug dependency and homelessness - challenges which are long-standing and go well beyond the capacity of criminal justice agencies to address on their own. Dealing with these matters requires a very co-ordinated approach from State agencies involved in social, housing, health and drug treatment services, as well as partnership with business, community and voluntary groups. An Garda Síochána already partners many of these groups in a range of local consultative and representative structures in Dublin and elsewhere. I will bring a recent initiative to the Deputy's attention. This is a new high-level group involving Dublin City Council, An Garda Síochána, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and the HSE, the aim of which is to oversee strategic and coherent responses in the city centre area. This is absolutely essential. I will meet the group, as well as Dublin city businesses, with a view to identifying how the ongoing efforts to enhance public safety and the overall environment in the city centre can be further supported and strengthened.
Since June 2013 the Garda has had a city centre policing plan, which it is working to. There are high-visibility Garda patrols in key commercial and public thoroughfares. The question of where these patrols take place is an operational matter, and the Garda monitors this on an ongoing basis. Obviously, there are focused resources in specific areas, a few of which I will mention in the brief time remaining. Operation Pier concentrates on the south quays and Temple Bar.
There are two other operations, one of which is Operation Spire. According to provisional statistics for the Garda Síochána analysis service for the first nine months of the year, the total number of drug searches is up by 5% in the north central area around Store Street and by 24% in the south central Pearse Street division.
Outside of members of the public with whom we deal every day of the week, other stakeholders such as hoteliers, publicans, retailers and restaurateurs are very concerned about this matter. On the number of gardaí employed in stations across the Dublin north central metropolitan region, the Bridewell, Fitzgibbon Street, Mountjoy and Store Street stations have experienced decreases in the numbers of gardaí working out of them. Similarly on the southside, Donnybrook, Irishtown, Kevin Street, Kilmainham and Pearse Street stations have also experienced reductions. Is the Minister satisfied with the current crime figures, particularly in Dublin city centre, and if not, does she have plans to deal with crime in the city centre outside of the operations to which she referred? Given the aforementioned decreases in garda numbers across stations on the north side and south side of Dublin, what does she envisage as the optimum number of members of the force?
I could respond to the Deputy in a number of ways. When one examines exactly what is happening in policing in the Dublin area, one will see that the number of public order offences is down by 7% in the south central, Pearse Street, area and 19% in the Store Street area. I see these figures as reflecting a broad positive trend. We do not want to alarm people unnecessarily, but we want to make the appropriate policing and operational decisions in respect of the points the Deputy raised. I have discussed these issues with the acting Garda Commissioner and I am confident these decisions are being taken on an ongoing basis.
Given the investment the Government has made, I would describe budget 2015 as a breakthrough budget for the justice sector because it provides for the first year-on-year budget increase since 2008. It is important to acknowledge that we have put money into policing. We have 300 new recruits, the first since 2008. In the period 2012 to 2014 we have allocated €414 million more than the Deputy's party in its national recovery plan. These resources will make a difference in giving the acting Garda Commissioner the opportunity to deploy more gardaí, as appropriate. I am confident that she will do this as the new recruits become ready for duty.
The four year plan has expired and the troika has gone. The Government is in a new space in which it can make decisions on these issues. I ask the Minister to outline her view on what she thinks the strength of the force should be. Should it be 13,000, as at present, or higher? My party's budget document factored in an increase of 500 gardaí who are particularly needed in parts of Dublin city centre. My party has also proposed to establish a dedicated public order unit which could deal with anti-social behaviour in Dublin city centre. During the years we have seen the benefits of dedicated Garda units, for example, the armed response unit, in getting to grips with gangland crime in my native city of Limerick, and the dedicated drugs units. Stakeholders in our capital city see merit in having a dedicated public order unit for Dublin city centre and the metropolitan region. It would be available on a 24-7 basis to deal with the anti-social behaviour that affects public and businesses alike. I ask the Minister for her views on these issues.
The Deputy asked about a dedicated public order unit in Dublin city centre. That unit is already in place and is put into operation when the need arises. The members of the unit are highly skilled and trained to deal with public order incidents of all gravity, up to and including riots, and are located throughout the Dublin metropolitan region. A dedicated public order patrol van is deployed from Pearse Street and Bridewell Garda stations every Friday and Saturday night to deal with public order issues in the city centre.
As I said, we now have 300 extra Garda recruits, the first such intake since 2008. I will monitor Garda staffing levels during 2015 with a view to agreeing further intakes to the Garda College as required. The Deputy mentioned the Garda Inspectorate report. That report recommended a number of initiatives in regard to further civilianisation, which will free up additional gardaí. Part and parcel of getting the numbers right is reform in the range of areas to which the Garda Inspectorate referred in its lengthy 500-page document. These include short, medium and longer-term actions to deliver a police force that is fit for the 21st century.
92. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of requests for meetings she or her predecessor, Deputy Alan Shatter, received from families or persons seeking justice or alleging miscarriages of justice; and the number of meetings that have been facilitated. [43956/14]
My question seeks to establish the number of requests for meetings received by the Minister and her predecessor, Deputy Alan Shatter, from families alleging miscarriages of justice, and the number of those requests that have been facilitated.
The Deputy has asked a very broad question. I have been fortunate enough since my appointment to meet a wide range of people who have issues with the operation of the criminal justice system. Many of them feel the system has not served them as well as it should have, or have suggestions as to how it can be improved. They include victims of sexual assault, people who have lost loved ones on the roads, others who have lost loved ones in brutal circumstances, and some who regard themselves as having been treated unfairly by agencies of the State.
In considering any request for a meeting, I must take into account any mechanisms, statutory or otherwise, which are in place for dealing with individual cases and avoid taking any action which might interfere with those processes in any way. In the case, for example, of persons with complaints against An Garda Síochána, I am obliged to take into account whether the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is examining the matter. In addition, as the Deputy will be aware, I have introduced an independent review mechanism. In summary, my decisions in regard to meetings are determined by my best assessment of where the public interest lies.
While I have met people with a wide range of views, I have given particular priority to the needs of victims of crime. In recent days, for instance, the Minister of State, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, and I met key stakeholders in Dublin Castle for a consultation on a new strategy for dealing with domestic violence, where we met with representatives of Victims' Rights Alliance and I launched a report for Rape Crisis Network Ireland. This is against the background of the priority I am giving to the implementation in Ireland in 2015 of the EU directive on victims' rights, which will help to introduce an important balance into our criminal justice system.
The Deputy, speaking in this House, recently drew a contrast between the decision of the Taoiseach to meet Máiría Cahill and what he portrays as a reluctance on my part or on the part of anybody else in government to meet other individuals seeking justice. That is a very disingenuous claim. While issues surrounding the prosecution of Ms Cahill's case are being examined in the North, the central issue which has given rise to great public concern is not how her case was handled by the agencies in Northern Ireland but how it was handled by the Provisional IRA and Sinn Féin. While there are mechanisms in place to ensure the agencies of this State and those in Northern Ireland are accountable, no one appears to be accountable for the way Ms Cahill was treated by the Provisional movement. The Deputy is being disingenuous in drawing a comparison between my meetings with victims of crime and the Taoiseach's meeting with Ms Cahill.
As I have pointed out to the Minister before, a significant number of people contacted me following her intervention in the Máiría Cahill case. Some of these families are alleging cover-ups of investigations into the deaths of loved ones. They could not get a meeting with the Minister's predecessor and cannot secure one with her.
The Minister referred to due process. The case she mentioned has been investigated by the PSNI in the North, was brought to court and is currently subject to independent review by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland and by way of a review of the Director of Public Prosecution's decision.
The Minister talks about public opinion. There is a significant public view that the Minister for Justice and Equality and her colleague, the Taoiseach, for reasons to do with political opportunism, embraced one particular case and ignored many families. Has the Minister or her predecessor, Deputy Alan Shatter, ever received correspondence from families alleging that their loved ones have been murdered or killed and that there was a cover-up or incompetence? If the Minister has received such correspondence, has she refused to meet the families in question?
When one is in a hole, one should stop digging.
In some of these cases, the families have concerns about serious crime. Any case involving allegations such as those the Deputy described has been referred to a review mechanism. I have made this very clear and the Deputy knows the facts. In such cases I have to take into account the fact that an independent panel has been established to investigate and review cases, examine correspondence and assess whether further action is needed. It is not appropriate for me, as Minister for Justice and Equality, to meet the families at the same time. I have made this clear to them and Members of the House who have corresponded with me about cases. As regards meeting people who believe they have been subject to injustices in the criminal justice system, there is a list of people whom I felt it was right to meet in the public interest. However, if there is another process in place, for example, in the case of Fr. Niall Molloy, it would be inappropriate for me to have parallel meetings at the same time. It would also be inappropriate for me to do so if court processes are under way, which is the case in a number of cases.
I find the Minister’s response incredible. She is Minister for Justice and Equality. In the neighbouring jurisdiction an investigation was carried out by the PSNI and, unfortunately, the case did not go to court. It is under independent review regarding the DPP’s role in it. As the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland is investigating the matters involved, there is an independent review mechanism, yet the Minister could not get in quickly enough to make a public statement where there was a political opportunity to cast a slur against my party. I will not read the requests from the many families who allege their loved ones, in the State for which the Minister is responsible, were murdered and that there were cover-ups in their cases and who want to meet the Minister but cannot do so. Where is the consistency in how the Minister makes decisions on families? How can she so clearly make a statement on one case in the North of Ireland but engage in no commentary on cases in the State for which she is responsible? The accusations levelled against her by the families and many others were of blatant political opportunism and inconsistency in her approach to victims alleging the commission of the most heinous crime of murder in the State.
The Deputy should also be careful about using families to avoid questions he does not like.
He has taken issue with the fact that I have commented on the very disturbing issues surrounding the case of Máiría Cahill. He has attempted to argue that because matters related to the case are subject to investigation by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland and because the Director of Public Prosecutions has ordered a review of the prosecution aspects of the case, Members of the House should not meet the victim or comment on the case. It is extraordinary. The Deputy has very conveniently overlooked one issue. We have not commented on how the police or prosecution services in Northern Ireland handled the case. Instead, we have commented on the deeply troubling way in which Sinn Féin and the Provisional IRA have dealt with the matter. While it is perfectly understandable the Deputy should want to distract attention away from this fact, to suggest the fact that the police and prosecution handling of the case is being examined means that we should not comment on the activities and the Provisional IRA in relation to it is plainly absurd.
Deputy Ruth Coppinger has the next question.
There are blatant double standards.
Can we have order, please?
The Minister for Justice and Equality knows that.
We have to go on to the next question. Please, Members. Deputy Ruth Coppinger has the floor.
93. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount An Garda Síochána has spent to date policing protests against water meter installation; and if she will report on instances of the use of pepper spray and other excessive force against protesting residents. [43953/14]
My question concerns the amount that has been spent by An Garda Síochána to date policing protests against water meter installations. Will she report on the use of pepper spray or other excessive force by gardaí against protesting residents in their own communities?
As the Deputy knows, the statutory functions of An Garda Síochána include the preservation of peace and public order, the protection of life and property, and vindication of the human rights of individuals. Accordingly, gardaí have attended routinely at water meter installations where this has been necessary for the performance of these functions. This, regrettably, has necessitated the diversion of gardaí from other duties in the community. I regret that.
I am grateful to have the opportunity to comment on the work of An Garda Síochána, carried out in very difficult circumstances, in recent months when handling these protests. I am sure every Member of this House who is committed to democratic principles and the rule of law will join me in that.
In commenting on this matter, it is important that I make a distinction between the type of protest we had a couple of Saturdays ago, when tens of thousands of people across the country protested with dignity against water charges, facilitated by members of An Garda Síochána, and other forms of protest carried out by a small number of people in which individuals have been intimidated and prevented from going about their lawful business. The chanting of the words "peaceful protest" does not disguise the fact that intimidation is not peaceful, bullying is not peaceful, threatening behaviour is not peaceful, harassing people is not peaceful, throwing bricks at gardaí and Garda vehicles is not peaceful, targeting individual members of the Garda on social networks is not peaceful, and detaining the Tánaiste against her will is not peaceful. The fact that an associate of the Deputy has said he has no problem with detaining a person against his or her will says much more than I can about the reality of what has been going on.
There are, of course, well established procedures under which anyone can complain against the behaviour of an individual member of An Garda Síochána through the Garda Ombudsman Commission. In my view, however, it is standing reality on its head to suggest that the behaviour of the gardaí has been what has led to trouble at protests. Instead, a small minority with their own agenda have set out to cause as much trouble as they could without regard to the rights of others.
The Minister said that diverting gardaí from other necessary duties to water meter protests was not good. If that is the case, she should not do it. She is in charge of deploying Garda resources. It is her responsibility.
That is wrong.
People have been aghast at the number of gardaí that can be found with no problem to attend the installation of water meters, when they are not available in my own community, for example, when women who have barring orders need them for protection. That is being commented upon throughout the length and breadth of the country by people of all persuasions.
I would like the Minister to comment, for example, on the behaviour of gardaí at the Mansion House the other day, when a woman was thrown violently against a kerb. She could have been seriously injured and was, in fact, injured. The Minister said nothing about that, but she spoke about the threats to other people.
Last week, women in their sixties were manhandled when the Taoiseach attended an event in Santry. The Minister has not mentioned the use of pepper spray in both Coolock and Tallaght the other day. She should comment on that.
Let us be clear, Deputy. Some of the behaviour that is taking place during the protests around water meter installation involves - and has involved, as the Deputy knows - breaking windscreens, slashing tyres and throwing bricks at gardaí.
Burning vehicles.
On Saturday, children and other young people were placed in a dangerous situation. If people are throwing themselves at Garda cars or other vehicles, clearly the gardaí have to protect them.
There is a long tradition of peaceful protest in this country. The Garda Síochána has a responsibility to monitor and help ensure the protests take place. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Ireland on a whole range of issues and the protests went peacefully.
The Deputy asked about cost with regard to the current situation and the kind of behaviour that means the Garda Síochána must be present at protests, but the costs I am concerned about include Garda time, the costs to equipment and vehicles, and the potential costs of life-threatening and serious injuries that could take place due to some of the behaviour at the protests. I am very concerned about those costs.
The Minister has not outlined any instances in which there was such a threat or danger.
Deputy Coppinger should ask Deputy Paul Murphy beside her.
If the Minister heard the interviews with the people of Cobh this morning, she would know that these are ordinary men and women who have suffered under the past six years of austerity and have had to come out to protest peacefully in their communities.
Deputy Coppinger should define "peaceful".
What did the Minister think would happen? Did she think she could hammer ordinary working-class people for six years - take away their teachers, take away their SNAs, take away their support, attack child benefit and impose a property tax - and this would not produce anger among communities?
Does Deputy Coppinger support the Garda Síochána?
If she thought that, the Minister would want to wise up.
Does Deputy Coppinger support the Garda Síochána?
I would prefer not to be shouted down by Members on the Government side.
Deputy Coppinger is well able to shout.
We will have order in the House.
The Minister has made a number of allegations about the protest in Tallaght. No brick was thrown at any protest in Tallaght.
What about the Tánaiste?
The only thing thrown at a protest in Tallaght was a water balloon.
That is the Socialist Party roll of honour.
Is the Minister saying that justifies the outrage of the media and Government Members over the weekend?
Deputy Paul Murphy said "Will we allow her out of her car?".
The Taoiseach made an incredible statement about a kidnapping. If the Minister believes that detaining a Minister - delaying her in going about the PR lies that she was engaging in-----
The graduation of third level students.
This is a woman who said three years ago that she was against water charges. Now she is imposing them on working-class communities, some of the most deprived communities in the country.
Thank you, Deputy.
I was interrupted continually and I would like to finish.
Not everyone has a private third level education.
Members of the working class were graduating that day.
If the Deputies opposite believe the Tánaiste was in any danger, it is quite incredible. It is very clear to me that people are expressing their anger and there was no threat to the Tánaiste by anyone at any stage.
Deputy Paul Murphy incited them.
No brick was thrown, and the Minister should withdraw her statement in that regard.
The Deputy seems to be making a defence of serious public disorder. She asked me what I expect people to do. I expect Deputy Coppinger and other Deputies to use democratic means to discuss the range of issues they are concerned about. I expect democratic peaceful protest and debate in the House. I expect the use of democratic means to deal with the issues, as opposed to throwing bricks, refusing to allow the installation-----
No bricks were thrown.
As opposed to throwing eggs and other missiles, sticks and cigarette lighters, and as opposed to damaging Garda vehicles and sitting down in front of cars that were trying to leave and making it difficult for people to use public roads. That is what I expect - democratic means, rather than the means I listed. I ask Deputies Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy to support a democratic way of debating these issues. I understand the concerns people have about water charges. We will be dealing with those and we have taken note of them, but the kind of behaviour we have seen should not be part of this democracy.
The Minister should condemn the Labour Party for telling lies before the last general election.
Deputy Joe Higgins should support the rule of law.
Deputy Niall Collins has tabled a question. We will have order.
94. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of outstanding warrants nationwide on PULSE; her views on this number of outstanding warrants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43959/14]
I have been seeking information on the number of outstanding bench warrants as of 23 September 2014.
We tabled this as a parliamentary question and the Minister undertook to have the information collated by An Garda Síochána and referred back to us. To date, we still have not received the information so we have tabled the question again as a priority because the issue is of major public importance.
I am advised that, at the end of the second quarter of this year, there were in the order of 113,500 outstanding warrants on PULSE. This figure had reduced from a level of approximately 122,000 at the start of the year. I am further advised that an inspector in each Garda district in the Dublin metropolitan region and in each division outside the region is tasked with managing the execution of warrants and other issues relating to them. In addition, specific members of the force are tasked with their execution and there is ongoing liaison with the Prison Service and the Courts Service, as well as with other State agencies on these matters.
Genuine difficulties can arise where it does not prove possible to enforce a warrant and it is important that systems are in place to ensure that warrants are enforced as quickly as possible. In this regard, I have been assured that An Garda Síochána gives priority to the execution of warrants in respect of serious crime and will continue to do so. I am conscious that difficulties in the execution of warrants have been a matter of concern over many years. It is also true that this is a long-standing difficulty for many police forces around the world. I welcome the analysis provided by the Garda Síochána Inspectorate on warrants in the recent crime investigation report.
The inspectorate report, as the Deputy has seen, acknowledges the difficulties often faced by gardaí in pursuing the execution of warrants but it also points to significant deficiencies in the current systems in this area and makes a number of short, medium and longer term recommendations in the report. Some of the difficulties are very much tied to the technology, which must be addressed. I am working with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, to secure the necessary and early investment in upgrading Garda technology. It is extremely important.
Highlighted in the report is the number of warrants generated as a result of non-payment of fines and in circumstances where imprisonment was over time the only option available to the court. Under the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act 2014, alternatives to imprisonment are now provided for, and the aim is to reduce significantly the number of persons committed for non-payment. That should also reduce the number of warrants which the force is obliged to enforce.
The information which the Minister has provided points to a continuing major dysfunction in the execution of bench warrants, particularly as such warrants are the bread and butter upon which the criminal justice system works when judges are ordering people to appear before them or in committing people to prison. If that plank of our criminal justice system is breaking down to the degree described, the figures must serve as a wake-up call to the Minister and her Government. In July 2012, there were 124,000 bench warrants outstanding and as of the first quarter of this year, the figure is approximately 113,000. That is unjustifiable and indicative of a major dysfunction. The people impacted the most are victims of crime, and we must be most concerned about them. I take it that the Minister's reply is an admission that there is a failure to execute these warrants, which is a major issue facing the criminal justice system. What specific actions does the Minister intend to take to put this issue right and eliminate this major dysfunction from our criminal justice system?
The problems relating to the enforcement of warrants are long-standing, as the Deputy would recognise. Records demonstrate that the number of warrants outstanding in May 2008, for example, when the Deputy's party was in government, was 117,756, or higher than now. That does not mean I accept the current position or that it should be allowed to stand. There is no question that action is required and the problem must be addressed once and for all. The analysis in the inspectorate report is a clear way forward.
I expect Garda management to note and implement the recommendations.
The new fines legislation will make a difference in this area and I have already referred to this fact as it will provide a pathway to reduce the outstanding number. I do not mean to minimise the situation but the vast majority of warrants do not relate to violent and serious offences - most are due to the non-payment of fines relating to road traffic offences and other offences. More than 90% of all penal warrants relate to these categories of offences though I do not find the situation acceptable and know it must be dealt with.
How will the Minister deal with this issue? The Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality put forward the concept of a criminal justice inspectorate and the Minister referenced the report of Mr. Robert Olson for the Garda Inspectorate, which was published last week. Has the Minister or the Cabinet sub-committee on justice reform given real consideration to the establishment of an overarching criminal justice inspectorate to examine all the major players in this area, including the Probation Service, the courts, prisons, the Garda Síochána and so on? We all agree that the figures are staggering and those most affected are the victims. Victims are not getting justice. I recognise that much of the problem relates to the non-payment of fixed charge penalty notices which necessitates a court summons by default. Nonetheless, many warrants mean that everyday people do not get justice. An overarching criminal justice inspectorate would ensure the different stakeholders in the criminal justice system communicate coherently with each other. The figures show that at the moment this does not happen.
We have just received a report from the Garda Inspectorate and I thank the three people involved in producing it, led by Mr. Robert Olson, chief inspector of the Garda Inspectorate. The report contains 500 recommendations and it suggests I establish a number of groups in the Department and the criminal justice system. The report suggests the establishment of an overarching criminal justice expert group to lead the implementation of the report's recommendations and it also makes a series of recommendations for the Garda to implement.
I understand Deputy Collins's suggestion as there is logic in it but my primary obligation as Minister for Justice and Equality is to oversee the implementation of the Garda Inspectorate report. We can consider the Deputy's point and may implement it in future but there is much work to be done now on the recommendations in the Garda Inspectorate report.
95. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to implement the recommendations contained in the recently published Garda Inspectorate report on crime investigation. [43957/14]
I want to probe how the Minister will implement the recommendations in the Garda Inspectorate report. Has the Minister established the criminal justice working group as this is a previous recommendation of the Garda Inspectorate? It appears the Garda Inspectorate asked the Minister to establish this entity and the Minister stated in the Dáil that she has done so. Is this correct? The most recent Garda Inspectorate report again calls on the Minister to establish the criminal justice working group.
Last week I published the report of the Garda Inspectorate and welcomed its analysis as providing the foundation stone for the future development of a 21st century policing service for Ireland. The report acknowledges the dedication and commitment of members of An Garda Síochána and notes that many of the issues raised have been identified in other police forces. The report makes many recommendations and one of the key ones relates to the establishment of an expert group. However, there are also recommendations relating to the establishment of around 16 other groups and I must carefully examine them to find the best way forward to manage the implementation process. Clearly, there will also be a role for a police authority and I intend to establish the group mentioned by the Deputy very shortly.
I need to consider the membership of the group. Certain recommendations were made and I will examine a range of other questions in establishing the group which I will establish shortly.
Other areas where we are taking action which reflects some of the work done in the Garda Inspectorate's report include the independent policing authority and strengthening the powers of GSOC. The Cabinet has indicated that there will be a role for the Cabinet sub-committee on justice reform also. I understand this is the first time a Government has had a Cabinet sub-committee on justice. It is important to have this mechanism to oversee the changes that we are implementing. It is a useful one to have. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, other Cabinet members and I are involved and it will help to oversee the reforms outlined in the Garda Inspectorate's report.
I wish to make a point about statistics following a report today in The Irish Times on the Central Statistics Office. I met the director and some of his staff to discuss what is stated in the report. I asked them for their best thinking on how we should move forward. They suggested, particularly in respect of the reclassification issue whereby the figure is 8% in Ireland and 4% elsewhere, that they would examine all 1 million entries on the PULSE system. Obviously, they are keen to ensure there has been no contamination of the statistics and that they are accurate. They are doing this independently and will report by the end of the year or the beginning of the new year. I have not announced it before, but the CSO is going to carry out a victimisation survey in Ireland also. This has not been done since 2010 and will give us the victims' perspective o their experiences of crime in Ireland. We will have the findings next year.
Like the Minister, I imagine, I have spoken to many members of An Garda Síochána since the report was published. Broadly, they welcome it. They have made the interesting observation that there was nothing in it that they could not have told us about resources. I am referring specifically to the issue of rosters. There has been significant criticism of the rostering system, the matter of Garda vehicles and the fact that many trained gardaí are tied down in doing administrative work. All of this arises from the cutbacks made in recent years. One of the most annoying things for me and, more importantly, front-line members of An Garda Síochána was the terminology used of smart policing and modernisation that we kept getting from the former Garda Commissioner, Mr. Martin Callinan, and the former Minister, Deputy Alan Shatter. It was nonsense. The bottom line was that they were dressing up the cutbacks and their impact as being something else. The report shows the urgent need for real modernisation and to deal with the impact of the cutbacks. There will be a challenge for the Government in deploying resources, although I recognise that the Minister went some of the way in the recent budget. The key issue is the criminal justice working group, about which there is some confusion. The Minister confirmed to me in the Dáil recently that she had established a criminal justice working group when I asked her about the penalty points matter. Has the group been established?
There is some confusion because the most recent report calls for it to be established. If it has been established, it is most welcome. The report represents a real opportunity. In fairness to the Minister, while we have disagreements, she has started the process of reform and the language she has used since she took office has been encouraging. This is an opportunity for her to put her stamp on it and oversee real change that could boost morale and give the men and women of An Garda Síochána what they need. Overall, the force is made up of an excellent body of people.
It is clear that during the years of the so-called Celtic tiger the investment in resources, for example, to deal with technology and vehicles issues, was not as it should have been. This is absolutely clear when we read the report on the issue of technology within An Garda Síochána. Some 1,000 gardaí were interviewed and met in focus groups for the Garda Inspectorate's report. The perspective of An Garda Síochána is given in the report. Nevertheless, this is a difficult time for An Garda Síochána with this level of analysis, necessary though it is. What I intend to do is incrementally ensure the members of the force will have the resources they need to do the job which I know they want to do and which they carry out every day in protecting the public in all sorts of arena and difficult situations. They put their lives at risk every day of the week.
From a budgetary point of view, there was a breakthrough this year for the Department with the extra investment which has been made. The Department's budget for this year is €2.156 billion for current spending and €107 million for capital spending. Not all of that is for An Garda Síochána, whose budget this year is approximately €1.35 billion.
I will come back to the Minister. I am trying to make some progress.
I just want to make the point that we have invested €27.5 million in new Garda vehicles. It will make a substantial difference nationally, including in urban areas.
Like the Minister, I am sure, I found the report a breath of fresh air. One can see the potential for An Garda Síochána if the recommendations are implemented. There is an opportunity to have a policing authority, a strengthened ombudsman and promotion on merit within the Garda where significant changes are required. There are also other opportunities that can be pursued. The Minister and I will come and go from the House. We will we be here for a short period and we will want to be able to look back and say we made a difference. The report represents a significant milestone in Irish policing. If we take the opportunity it presents, we can make a huge difference.
The report sets out a comprehensive analysis and is tough and challenging, not least in its detail given the 500 recommendations. I have to agree with the Deputy there. It represents an important roadmap for developments in An Garda Síochána to make it absolutely fit for purpose. Ours is a reforming Government and establishing the new policing authority which will be responsible for promotions and day-to-day policing is a huge step. It is one I want to take very carefully, enuring that it is effective. It is in line with changes in other countries and can play a very important part in what the Deputy has outlined in relation to the changes that are necessary. As the Deputy knows, we are moving ahead with that.
There are other initiatives we are taking which will also make a difference. Obviously, resources are part and parcel of the issue, particularly in relation to technology which we have committed to upgrading. I want a proper plan in that regard which is why I am awaiting the Haddington Road report. I will have it later this year or early in the new year. When the Haddington Road report from the Inspectorate is available along with this report, we will be in a position to identify clearly the technology that is needed. In fact, I will have preliminary meetings on the issue with the Inspectorate and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in the coming weeks. We want to invest in the technology, which is part and parcel of effective policing. An Garda Síochána have waited too long for this level of technology.
