This is the first opportunity I have had to address the House since the Leas-Cheann Comhairle was elected. I want to do publicly what I have done privately and congratulate him on his election. He has a reputation for representing the interests of Members of this House fearlessly, and that will serve him well in the office of Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I wish all the best in the future.
Policing and Community Safety: Statements
Go raibh maith agat.
I also welcome that we are having statements today on policing and safety in our communities. As Minister for Justice, I assure the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and Members of the House that my priority is to ensure the people can live in communities which they regard as enjoyable and safe. That is not just my priority. I know it is also the priority of my colleagues in the Department of Justice, the Ministers of State, Deputies Brophy and Collins. It is also a priority of the Government.
When we refer to communities being enjoyable and safe, we need to recognise what it is we are trying to achieve. We want to try to ensure people can live their lives in communities without being exposed to the threat of criminality and antisocial behaviour or, if they occur, that they know there will be a State response in that respect. It is important we discuss such issues in this House because when we try to identify issues in the different communities around the country in respect of safety and policing, there is no more qualified group of people than the Members of this House. Every Member of this House comes with a personal mandate from the previous general election. They also come with the fact they have to represent everyone throughout their constituencies irrespective of whether those people voted for them in the past general election. The advantage of our electoral system is that it is impossible to be an effective and successful TD, or indeed to get elected to this House, unless you are aware of the circumstances pertaining in your community. That is why I will listen closely to what Members have to say in respect of policing and safety in their communities. Although I am Minister for Justice for the whole country, I will not have the same level of knowledge that Deputies have in respect of their own constituencies. That is the great advantage of this House and debating Chamber, that we get to hear what the issues are in particular communities with regard to policing and safety.
One thing I suspect will be universal across the contributions from Members over the next two hours is that every person will talk about the number of members of An Garda Síochána operating within their community. Every time I speak to a Member of Dáil Éireann or the Seanad, the one thing they emphasise is that they want to see more members of An Garda Síochána in their community. That is not something we should take for granted. There are many countries in the world where some communities do not want to see police officers in the community. In Ireland it is the opposite. We want to see more members of An Garda Síochána visible on the ground. I will deal with that in more detail when I come to focus on An Garda Síochána, but the predominant reason is that the presence of An Garda Síochána in a community gives it a sense of safety and confidence. Even if it is the case that there is no immediate prospect of criminal activity, I think it is universally accepted that the mere presence of gardaí in a community has a positive impact on it.
We also need to be realistic about what people expect when it comes to the Minister for Justice, An Garda Síochána and our criminal justice system.
People have reasonable expectations. Nobody expects that we will live in a society where there is no criminal activity or antisocial behaviour. However, they do expect that such activity and behaviour will not become the norm. They expect that, if it does occur, there will be an immediate response from An Garda Síochána and that, if persons involved in criminal activity or antisocial behaviour are apprehended, the criminal justice system will respond and deal with it. In effect, that means that, if people are found to have been or are suspected of being involved in-----
Can I call for a quorum? We do not have a quorum. We need five in the Chamber. Is that the case? I think it is. It is an important debate.
Notice taken that 20 Members were not present; House counted and 20 Members being present,
I welcome the fact that Members have come in. The point I was making is that we need to be aware of what people expect of our justice system and policing in our community. People expect that, if there is criminal activity, An Garda Síochána will investigate it promptly. They also expect that, if there is suspicion of criminal activity and there is sufficient evidence, it will be brought before the courts and dealt with appropriately by the justice system.
Another factor we need to focus on before looking at the specifics of policing and safety in our community is the causes of crime. Identifying the causes of crime in our community and what gives rise to a sense of unsafety in our communities is complex and complicated. It is unquestionably the case that, when we hear contributions from Members over the course of the next two hours, we will hear that one of the major causes of crime is the prevalence of drugs in our communities. It is a catalyst for criminal activity, it causes a substantial amount of it and it is a form of criminal behaviour that results in violence and individuals being involved in behaviour that results in many others being harmed. That is not just the harm that is caused through the violence associated with the drugs trade but also the harm caused to individuals who find themselves unfortunate enough to be caught up in drug addiction. Anyone who is aware of individuals who have the misfortune to find themselves addicted to drugs will be aware that it is a terrible condition for any person to end up in. It is extremely hard for anyone to get off the path of drug addiction. It is also extremely easy for those addicted to drugs to find themselves caught up in the criminal justice system and before the courts. It is essential we are aware of the central role that drug addiction, which arises from drug dealing, can play in causing a lack of safety in our society.
That makes us reflect upon the fact we also need to focus on trying to ensure people do not get involved in criminality and get caught up in the criminal system. Any study of crime and criminality will show that it is between the ages of 13 years and 30 years that boys and men find themselves caught on the wrong side of the law. We can also identify certain locations where, unfortunately, there is a higher incidence of individuals getting caught up with An Garda Síochána than in other areas. That is why it is so important we continue to do what we have done in respect of the north inner city partnership to increase resources for schools such as DEIS schools in areas that have a high incidence of deprivation. It is also extremely important we ensure there are psychological and therapist services in place for communities where there is a high incidence of deprivation, which can lead to certain aspects of criminal activity. That is something we cannot ignore. The criminal justice system cannot deal with crime through policing alone. Policing is an integral part of our response to criminal activity and antisocial behaviour but, as was recognised by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, policing alone cannot resolve these societal problems. That is why it is important that, as Minister for Justice, I do not look at it as just a policing issue. I am conscious that Members of this House do not view it as simply a policing issue.
I will look at An Garda Síochána because, in any debate on policing and safety in the community, we must start with An Garda Síochána. As I have stated previously, the Government cannot succeed and I cannot succeed as Minister for Justice unless An Garda Síochána succeeds. That is why it is so important we resource An Garda Síochána, that we give it appropriate powers and that it performs the duties we in this House have allocated to it through legislation. At present, the standard political response in this House is that, along with most members of the public, most political representatives want to see as many gardaí as possible on the streets. High-visibility policing is a priority for me and the Government in the forthcoming term. As I have said previously, it is extremely important we have that high visibility. To achieve high visibility, however, we need certain numbers within the force.
At present, there are 14,100 attested members within An Garda Síochána. We also have 3,500 civilian staff. When the number of attested members is added to the number of civilian staff of An Garda Síochána, we are close to 18,000. I regret to say we have low levels of Garda Reserve members. There are in the region of 371 members of the Garda Reserve. When it comes to the deployment of An Garda Síochána, we need to look at that figure in its totality, including attested members, civilian staff and the Garda Reserve.
My objective is to get the numbers up from 14,100 attested members. Members will be aware a recruitment campaign has just concluded. It has proceeded relatively well. It is important everyone in this House tries to encourage members of the public to consider a career within An Garda Síochána. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle will remember that the rules in respect of the age at which people can join An Garda Síochána were changed last year or the year before. You used to be unable to join if you were 35 years of age or older. That rule has now changed and you can join up to the age of 49. If you are in before 50, that is sufficient. I ask people to give consideration to it. There are many people doing jobs they do not find particularly interesting or that are very sedentary. An Garda Síochána provides a very interesting job. It is an active job that caters to diverse interests and allows for diverse roles. As I have said before, I encourage people to consider joining An Garda Síochána. I also encourage Members of this House to encourage people within their own constituencies to join.
One of the things that has also been changed, and this is an issue Members raised, is the fitness test, which has now been reduced in severity, if I can use that expression, or in how difficult it is. Reports were coming back that it was being presented in a way whereby individuals were finding it extremely difficult to complete, which was something we had to take into account. I was told it particularly seemed to affect female applicants and appeared to discriminate against them. That is why some changes have been made to the fitness test. However, I assure people that a basic level of fitness is still required in order to join An Garda Síochána.
I note that some Members have also expressed concern about the vetting that now operates for persons entering Templemore, which was raised by Deputy Kelly. I have been informed by my Department that no one attests as a member of An Garda Síochána without vetting and enhanced security clearances being completed. The recent changes are only to the timing of vetting occurring within the very robust application and recruitment processes. It is important that we try to get as many members as possible into An Garda Síochána. As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will be aware, the Government has set a recruitment target of 5,000 over the next five years or so for An Garda Síochána. That is an ambitious target but is one we should keep and try to reach. The population of this country is approximately 5.3 million at present. It is clearly the case that we need to have more than 14,100 attested members in the force.
I commend the modernisation that has taken place in An Garda Síochána and the fact that we are now using civilians to do very many of the tasks that were previously performed by attested members. It is pretty clear that most Members want to see attested members of An Garda Síochána doing policing work. They do not want to see members of An Garda Síochána doing office work or work that could be done by civilian staff. I am pleased to say that those tasks have, to a large extent, been transferred to civilian staff. That is appropriate and should continue to progress. I am concerned about the instances of members of An Garda Síochána having to wait all day around courtrooms throughout the country, especially in District Courts. That is something we will have to look at it as well in collaboration with the Judiciary, in particular, the president of the District Court, to see what measures can be brought in to ensure that gardaí are not wasting their time stuck in courthouses for long periods when that is not necessary. I will bring forward a criminal justice (miscellaneous provisions) Bill in the not-too-distant future which will deal with issues such as remote hearings. We need to avail of technology in order to ensure we can have An Garda Síochána based in the community where it belongs, rather than gardaí doing particular jobs in courts for which the public do not want to see them there all day.
I will also bring forward legislation to compile exactly the type of powers that An Garda Síochána has. It used to be the case that Garda or constabulary powers emanated from the common law and judges simply developed the type of powers that police officers had in their interactions with the public. That is no longer acceptable. The public are entitled to see what powers are allocated to An Garda Síochána and to see those written down in legislation. As I said, that is why I will bring forward legislation in respect of Garda powers, which will seek to do a number of things. It will provide express provision for stop and search powers, although these exist at present, in a more detailed way. These are important powers that An Garda Síochána must have. There is great concern in the House about the instances of knife carrying in our society. We do not want to find ourselves in a situation in this country, which has happened in other countries, where the carrying of knives becomes a norm or an accepted part of the activity, I regret to say, of young men and boys. We must continue to emphasise that the carrying of knives is unacceptable. We all know that if somebody brings a knife out with them at night-time, although maybe not with the intention of using it but as a defensive mechanism, and a fight develops, that fight will probably end with catastrophic consequences for the person who is injured and the person who used the knife. Powers in that regard will be in the Garda powers Bill I will bring before the House.
The Leas-Cheann Comhairle may be aware that a number of issues were associated with section 10 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997, which set out the power of the District Court to grant search warrants. Two recent decisions of the Supreme Court raised question marks about the legality of that section. It did not reach a determined view in respect of section 10, but stated that there were question marks regarding it. The question marks arose in the Corcoran and Quirke cases. The Corcoran case related to a situation where a journalist was the person upon whom a search warrant was sought, granted and served through the District Court. The issue in the Supreme Court was whether the section 10 provision took into account that there could be situations where a journalist's sources should be protected. There was no express recognition in section 10 that there may be circumstances where journalistic privilege should be upheld. Similarly, there is no provision in section 10 that states that legal professional privilege should be upheld. One of the changes to Garda powers that I intend to bring forward, in response to the Corcoran and Quirke decisions, is an amendment of section 10 to ensure that the entitlement to journalistic privilege and legal professional privilege can be asserted and tested by a court in advance of a search warrant being granted.
We also have to look at Garda resourcing when it comes to the question of policing and safety in our community. Budget 2025 included an allocation of €2.5 billion for An Garda Síochána. The Garda fleet of cars has never been bigger. We also need to see greater numbers of community gardaí policing their areas, and we are beginning to see this. As I said, that is what people want to see. They want to see An Garda Síochána in their communities. We also need to look at the technology we can provide An Garda Síochána with. Criminality has become much more technologically sophisticated. Similarly, we need to ensure that the Garda is given appropriate and modern technology in order to fight crime. We have already seen the roll-out of body cameras. I want to see a situation where body cameras can be availed of by all members of An Garda Síochána. I am told by senior gardaí and the Commissioner that the presence of body cameras on gardaí is having a distinct impact on the behaviour of people who approach them. People's behaviour becomes calmer and more pacific if they know they are being videoed, and-or are on camera, or there is that ability. That is something we need to take into account. It is a positive example of technology being granted to An Garda Síochána.
I will also bring forward legislation to provide for facial recognition technology. I was at Store Street Garda station about two and a half weeks ago, where two retired members of An Garda Síochána were going through CCTV footage of the Dublin riots in November 2023. We need to speed up the process of checking CCTV footage. The way for that to be done is through the use of facial recognition technology. Like every other Member, I want to ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place to ensure that it is used appropriately and proportionately by An Garda Síochána. However, we need to emphasise that nobody is suggesting that a person will be prosecuted and convicted solely on the basis of FRT. That is not what we are talking about. We are talking about using facial recognition technology as an investigative tool to assist An Garda Síochána in the work it is doing.
I will also look at the process of introducing a unique identifier in the criminal justice system. We talk about many other issues in respect of data, but we cannot do a proper appraisal of the policing system in this country unless we have appropriate data. We have a lot of data in respect of members of An Garda Síochána; we need to get data on individuals who are coming before the courts. We need to be able to identify the incidence of particular types of offences and who the offenders are.
That type of data will assist us considerably in trying to respond to the challenges posed by criminal activity.
Members of the previous Dáil will recall that the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act was enacted last year. However, it has not been commenced yet. I wish to commence it as soon as possible; I hope to commence it this month. It is extremely important that it be commenced because the provisions within it are important to ensure we have a modern, functioning Garda Síochána. It is also important for the purpose of recruiting senior members of An Garda, such as the Commissioner. The reason it has not been commenced yet is that we need to get the Vote for the purpose of setting up the new statutory agency, Fiosrú – the Office of the Police Ombudsman, provided for in the new legislation. My colleague, the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, will be introducing a motion in the House, if we do not have committees up and running, to ensure the Vote can be approved by the House in time for the legislation to be commenced this month. That legislation has a great advantage and it will be of great benefit to policing in this country once it is in place.
I am aware there is concern over the granting of bail to individuals. Deputy Carthy has expressed this before. I share the concern in certain instances. We need to examine this. We also need to reflect upon the fact that, back in 1997, the people of this country voted overwhelmingly to ensure bail could be refused if a judge believed there was a prospect that a serious offence could be committed by the applicant. The legislation that we have enacted does give effect to that constitutional change. I believe it is important. It is not for me or anybody in this House to direct judges – we simply cannot do that – but it is important that An Garda opposes applications for bail if it believes there is a likelihood that an individual will commit a further offence while on bail. Regrettably, it is clearly the case that there have been many instances of people committing offences while out on bail. That should result in them getting a consecutive sentence but that is not always the case. This area gives rise to public concerns about safety in our communities. Regrettably, a very significant number of the offences committed in this country are committed by a small number of people. Regrettably, they are committed by a small number of boys and men between the ages of 15 and 30 years of age. It does not give me any pleasure to say that.
I also want to deal with some other issues in respect of safety within the community. We had a very good debate here last week on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. That is an issue about safety in our community. We, and I as a Minister for Justice who is a man, need to recognise the very particular concerns that women have for their own safety in our community. As I have done before, I commend my ministerial predecessor, Deputy McEntee, who did a huge amount of work in this area. We have now seen the establishment of Cuan, the statutory agency that seeks to respond to, and seeks to put forward the State response to, domestic and gender-based violence. It is an issue that we really need to continue focusing on to ensure women in Irish society feel safer. We need to do it not just by the addition of refuge spaces but also through the policing of these criminal activities. I know from speaking to women who have been victims of domestic and gender-based violence or coercive control that they have had great confidence in and support from An Garda. We need to see this continue and grow.
We have not had much attention in recent times on gangland feuding although there have been some instances of it. I have been apprised of them by An Garda. However, let us reflect on when, a number of years ago, there was a very serious gangland feud going on in this country, particularly in this city. That feud was dealt with by An Garda Síochána. It dealt with it very successfully and effectively. We have to realise and remember that, at the time, very decent people in the inner city of Dublin were very scared about the direction of that gangland feud. However, An Garda Síochána did its work and very many individuals responsible for the heinous murders have been apprehended by An Garda Síochána, brought before the courts and imprisoned. It is important that this House commend and recognise the role of An Garda Síochána when it is successful. It was very successful in respect of the gangland feud, and that is something we should acknowledge and mention.
Another area we need to be aware of is the whole question of public order. Public order is becoming a more difficult issue. Obviously, we have to respect the rights of individuals to protest on the street, which is something I will vigorously protect, but there are situations where people seek to present themselves as protesting but are in fact harassing individuals in a public sphere. We need to look into this to ensure we do not allow people to be harassed and that our public order laws are sufficiently robust to ensure the Garda can police situations like those in question.
The public order unit of An Garda responded very effectively some weekends ago when there was a very serious series of stabbings in Stoneybatter. I know that the public order unit was available lest any issues arose there, and the Garda policed the situation very professionally and competently.
Another issue we need to consider in ensuring safety is the use and prevalence of CCTV footage. Everywhere you go, certainty in our cities, there are CCTV cameras. They are very beneficial to An Garda Síochána. Anyone contemplating getting involved in criminal activity, either during the daytime or at nighttime, in our cities and towns should be aware that there is a strong likelihood that their activity will be videoed and capable of being investigated by An Garda Síochána. That is something that is still happening and it is very useful that we have access to the footage. When I was down in Store Street, I was able to see the whole series of screens available, indicating different parts of the city. I am aware that these are available in our other cities as well.
Obviously, as Minister for Justice my focus cannot just be on the cities and towns. Along with Ministers of State, Deputies Niall Collins and Colm Brophy, we are also focused very strongly on the issue of rural crime. Rural crime presents greater challenges because, in many instances, its victims are not located as closely to a Garda station or-----
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I am just checking to see whether we have got a quorum.
Maybe I am driving people away. We have five.
We have five.
Will I continue then? We have five with the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
This is a serious debate; it is an important debate. Policing and safety in our community comprise one of the issues raised with me and my colleagues most regularly by constituents and I do not believe it should be used as an opportunity for playacting or trying to use the rules for some short-term political gain.
If we want to have safety in our community, we have to ensure An Garda Síochána is well resourced. I will be unhesitatingly supportive of An Garda Síochána in its pursuit of law and order in my time as Minister for Justice. It is extremely important that-----
Was a quorum called?
There are six Deputies present. As I was saying, this is an important debate and I would appreciate it if people would listen to what we are saying. There is an important message that the Government wants to put out. As I said, I will be unhesitatingly supportive of An Garda Síochána in the pursuit of law and order. I ask other Members of the House to be supportive of An Garda Síochána as well. It is extremely important we recognise that if we want our communities to feel safe and to be safe, we must support An Garda Síochána. We want to see its presence on the ground.
Tá áthas orm go bhfuil deis agam labhairt sa Dáil inniu faoi shábháilteacht pobail agus ár gcóras ceartais. Ní mór dúinn dul i ngleic go práinneach leis an easpa gardaí ar ár sráideanna. Communities deserve to feel safe and protected. Our cities, towns and rural communities should be safe, day and night. When crimes are committed, victims of crime must be supported to get justice in a timely manner. There must be equal access to justice for all. Every community has an equal right to proper policing. There are many issues which the Minister for Justice must deal with as a matter of urgency and I want to address some of them.
There is a clear and ongoing issue regarding Garda numbers and Garda visibility. When Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael took office in June 2020, Garda numbers stood at 14,700. At the end of December 2024, the Garda strength was 14,191, a drop of 3.5% over that period. In the same period, the population of the State rose from 4.95 million to 5.38 million, an increase of 9%. The lack of gardaí and the lack of visibility of the Garda has serious consequences. It impacts people's sense of safety, deterrence and crime prevention. Yesterday, we saw figures from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, which showed an increase in a range of crimes, particularly burglaries, including violent burglaries, and theft. While the CSO figures are useful, although worrying, I think most people would accept there is a need for a more complete picture of the level of crime being experienced, given all instances of crime are not reported. I ask the Minister to consider introducing an annual victims survey, along the lines of the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which records all types of crimes experienced by people, including those crimes that may not have been reported to the Garda.
There is also a serious lack of community gardaí, who are crucial for policing with the community and building local trust and confidence in An Garda Síochána. These are the gardaí who will know what is going on in their communities and who will be able to identify when young people are becoming involved in crime. Increasing the number of community gardaí is an issue that I particularly want the Minister to address.
The intake capacity for Garda training must be increased. It is clear that additional training places must be put in place to deliver the numbers required. Sinn Féin believes that we must aim for 16,000 active gardaí. There have been a number of very serious criminal incidents recently, particularly in Dublin, including a fatal stabbing in the city centre. There is a real concern about the growing issue of knife crime, the growing incidence of people carrying knives and the devastating consequences. It is crucial that these issues are tackled and there is no tolerance for knife crime, which is endemic in other countries. We want to prevent that here.
The issue of the number of crimes being committed by those on bail, to which the Minister referred, must be examined to ensure our bail laws are being appropriately applied where there is a clear risk of someone committing further crimes while on bail. If our bail laws are not adequate, that must be addressed. I expect to be speaking to the Minister regularly in the coming months about the Shane O'Farrell case. I keep feeling that had any Government since 2011 established a public inquiry into that case, many of the lessons we need to learn in respect of bail law would be evident. I hope the Minister will move to establish such a public inquiry.
An issue has arisen whereby joint policing committees, JPCs, have not been re-established and local community safety partnerships, LCSPs, have not been set up. The delay in the establishment of the LCSPs and the lack of JPCs is leaving a dangerous vacuum in our communities and denying communities the ability to address ongoing concerns regarding crime and community safety. The LCSPs should be established as quickly as possible. In the meantime, the JPCs should be reconvened.
While it is crucial that we increase the number of gardaí on the beat, we also need greater focus on tackling the causes of crime and preventing young people from getting into crime. Ensuring that those who become involved are rehabilitated rather than dragged further into a life of crime is crucial. I want from this Government a proper commitment to investment in youth diversion programmes, youth facilities, children and family services, rehabilitation and innovative approaches to probation that focus on ensuring that young people, in particular, can go on to build productive lives and careers away from crime and criminality.
It is also vital that we put in place supports and services to address other factors that can contribute to crime and antisocial behaviour, including drug and alcohol addiction, gambling and mental health issues. Our objective must be to keep as many people as possible out of the criminal justice system by tackling the causes of crime.
I will briefly talk about sentencing, an issue I have already raised with the Minister. Sentencing must reflect the gravity of the offence. If, as in a recent case, we see a judgment where there is no punishment for the loss of life due to the imposition of a concurrent sentence, it undermines not only the important principle of deterrence but also public confidence in our justice system. There are already requirements to impose consecutive sentences in certain circumstances, such as for crimes committed when somebody is on bail or serving a prison sentence. That should also be the case where there is a loss of life. The change I am proposing is to legislate for consecutive sentences in cases where there is a loss of life in order to avoid sentences that are manifestly wrong. I hope the Minister will support that proposal. We have an issue in our communities and there are many areas we need to address but, crucially and fundamentally, we need more gardaí on our streets and in our communities.
I congratulate the Minister and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on their new roles. I wish them all the best.
We are living with the legacy of serious Government failures and the neglect of policing and community safety. These are failures of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. There have been fewer gardaí on the streets of Dublin since Fine Gael came into government. We are now getting mixed messages. The former Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, declared that Dublin is safe but the current Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, declared that some parts of our city are unsafe. Which is it?
The first thing you need to do to tackle a problem is to recognise there is a problem in the first place. I am a proud Dubliner and it hurts me to say there are parts of my city and county that are unsafe. The recent high-profile murder of a man in Dublin has brought media attention to safety in our city. The reality of the situation is that once a high-profile instance happens in the city, already scant Garda resources are pulled from other areas, including my own, leaving already traumatised communities feeling abandoned. If I know this, we have to believe that the criminals acting in my area know it too.
The Minister mentioned gangland feuds. Not all gangland feuds are hitting the media like the previous ones. In my area of Dublin Mid-West, there is an ongoing feud. I have lost count of how many homes in my area have been petrol-bombed in the past 12 months. Nobody should have to lose his or her home like that. In some instances, the wrong homes have been targeted. When this happens, the whole community goes into alert. Families and neighbours are terrified, wondering if they will be next. My community feels abandoned. An 11-day-old baby had to be evacuated after a recent arson attack. Shots are being fired across gardens in broad daylight. In another attack, a young boy was hacked with a machete in broad daylight. A man was charged with attempted murder after a hit-and-run incident. A 14-year-old boy was recently stabbed and brought to hospital in a serious condition. To add to the fear of and sense of lawlessness of our community, this has all played out on social media.
I wrote to the previous Minister for Justice last June and again in October to request a task force for the area. I contacted her again in November, when the 11-day-old child had to be evacuated after the arson attack. I contacted the current Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, after the 14-year-old boy was stabbed and all I got back were holding replies and no new resources for my area, which is already under siege.
One night last year we had one Garda car operating in the whole of Clondalkin and Ballyfermot, which is a huge area. This is simply not good enough. There are other parts of my constituency where residents are afraid. Gangs are terrorising their areas. Open drug dealing, nightly fires, intimidation, assaults and vandalism are regular occurrences. This is not antisocial behaviour, which is how it is being put out in the media; it is criminal activity. The local gardaí, in fairness to them, are doing their best with the resources they have, but they need more. We will not police our way out of this totally, but we need more gardaí. We need visible gardaí on the street so areas like mine can breathe.
As for other actions that can help our communities feel safe, as Deputy Carthy said we need to see the community safety partnerships up and running. Two weeks ago, when responding to my colleague, Deputy Doherty, at Leaders’ Questions, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, spoke about the progress of community safety partnerships, which look at community safety from a whole-of-community perspective. These vital cogs have not been set up. Despite the Minister’s predecessor’s response, the two biggest local authorities in this State have taken different roles to fill this vacuum by having no community safety partnerships. Dublin City Council has just continued with the old joint policing committee. South Dublin County Council has not done anything as of this moment and cites lack of direction from the Department of Justice. These forums are in place in order that local representative can hold the councils, the Garda, transport services and others to account. Will the Minister give clear instructions to local authorities to put in place community safety partnerships and stop this confusion once and for all?
We also need other actions on scramblers and e-scooters. These need to be regulated and policed. We need regulation on nitrous oxide. Having discarded so-called “laughing gas” canisters all over our communities gives another sense of lawlessness. I introduced legislation last term to stop these canisters ending up in the hands of our young people. I will be reintroducing it very soon and asking for Government support. We need targeted youth services. There are good examples of services that target young people not where people think they should be but exactly where they are at. I used to work in these services, but they cannot just be in pockets across Dublin; they need to be right across the whole city.
Tá mé buíoch go bhfuil deis againn an plé seo a bheith againn inniu sa Dáil. We have been talking about gardaí. I was talking to some over the last couple of days and I begin by remembering the victims of the tragic accident last Friday in my constituency and my part of the county, namely, west Donegal. There was a terrible road accident and my thoughts and prayers are with the families of Jamie Diver and Shaun Martin McClafferty as well as the two young men who are fighting in hospital at the moment, and all their loved ones and friends. It is a devastating sadness that was visited on our community across Donegal. Unfortunately, it is an experience we have witnessed too many times, but I take the opportunity to commend the gardaí. I was on the road that night and saw three Garda cars rushing to the scene of the accident. They are turning up for their duty but, given the scenes that sometimes unfold in front of them, their professionalism, along with that of the other emergency responders there, has to be commended and I do that. They work in some of the most difficult situations imaginable and deserve our gratitude and respect and they deserve our support and the resources as well.
The Minister will know that in Donegal there is significant anxiety among rank-and-file gardaí and in our local communities about what the new Garda policing model means for the county. Donegal is one of the last counties where the new model is yet to be rolled out and there are concerns it will harm the links to local communities. Gardaí on the ground clearly have no confidence in the planned changes and they continue to struggle with a shortage of personnel and equipment. I invite the Minister up to Donegal to experience that and ask him to make it a point of priority to reach out to the gardaí and go on a visit. He should look at the vastness of the county, the Gaeltacht community, the offshore islands, the Border that has to be policed, the airport that carries international flights and the coastal community that has to be policed along with Killybegs and try to figure out how two Garda districts or two Garda community policing areas will suffice. They simply will not.
We have seen the chipping away of Garda resources in Donegal for many years. The brutal fact of it is there are significantly fewer gardaí in Donegal than when Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael went into government in 2020. There are 18 fewer gardaí in the county. What does that mean? Many of the Garda stations across Donegal have two or three gardaí in them, so when we have Garda stations without gardaí it is because of the dwindling of resources. We have one third fewer gardaí policing our roads than we had three years ago. The new plan does not taken into account the challenges that exist due to the size of the area, the geography and all that. I ask the Minister to recognise this.
The last point is it is an insult to rank-and-file gardaí on that ground that since February of last year there has been no superintendent in Letterkenny. Letterkenny covers a huge division, a huge area, but has no superintendent. We cannot have it that all resources are going to Dublin. We are aware there is a challenge in Dublin but there are challenges elsewhere. It is disrespectful to the rank-and-file gardaí who turn out every day to do their job to leave them without a superintendent for so long and I am asking the Minister to make a direct intervention in this. I invite him to the county to look at the challenges we have, especially concerning this new model and the Gaeltacht communities it will serve.
I express my deep shock at the attack on a child in Finglas today. I understand the child is very ill and I wish them a speedy recovery.
It is clear our communities do not feel safe. They know there is a dearth of gardaí on our streets. I acknowledge the brilliant work gardaí are doing on the ground in Dublin West under extremely difficult circumstances, especially in the last couple of weeks and the last year when there have been a significant number of gangland attacks. I have highlighted the fact other areas, such as Limerick, for example, which have populations similar to Dublin West have significantly more gardaí and Garda stations. It also notable that Dublin West is continuing to grow at an exponential rate with thousands of new homes being built in Ongar, Castleknock, Clonsilla, Tyrellstown, the Phoenix Park and Ashtown. Anybody who goes to Dublin West will see there are hundreds of homes being built and thousands planned, yet we still have a massive gap in numbers.
I have two other issues to bring up. Every week we all call for the community to support the Garda. The essence of the support is also reciprocal, in that we need the Garda to support the community. The community safety projects are really important, but they need to be genuine and something that is collaborative between the communities so it is not just gardaí and the community but also the local authority, local youth services and all those who help deal with the core issues of crime in our communities, that is, poverty, disadvantage and all the issues we know about which create crime in the first place.
I represent the constituency of Dublin Fingal West, which is in the DMR north region. In that region from 2019 to 2024 we have seen a 21% increase in the possession of drugs for sale or supply. It is all very well to see the figure, but it means that in my community and the communities I represent people are subjected daily to the sight of open drug dealing. Nobody wants that on their doorstep and nobody deserves to have that on their doorstep, but it is becoming a feature. I represent one of the fastest-growing constituencies in this State. The men and women of An Garda Síochána are doing their best but they are dealing with underfunding, with the cuts and with the fact the Garda stations that were closed still have not been reopened. The population is growing but the number of gardaí is not keeping pace with that. Whether it is open drug dealing at the all-weather pitch in Balbriggan, cars being vandalised in Skerries, antisocial behaviour in Rush or theft from shops in Lusk, the plea from my community is the same, namely, we want a visible Garda presence on our streets and in our communities and estates. People deserve to feel safe and the people I represent deserve to feel safe.
In the few seconds I have remaining, I am going to raise a case I have raised in here on a number of occasions and, for the avoidance of any doubt, I will continue to raise it until there is a resolution. There is a young women who lives in my constituency. She was brutally and viciously assaulted by her partner.
Some 14 years ago, she went on the housing list in Dublin City Council. She has had to leave Dublin city. She lives in north County Dublin. She is now in danger - imagine saying this - of being offered a house because she has been on the housing list for so long. Members of An Garda Síochána have told her it will not be safe for her to return to Dublin city. She does not want to. Her children do not want to. She definitely cannot return there for her own safety, yet she finds herself in a situation whereby if she is given an offer of a house and refuses it she will be put off the list for a year – the Minister knows the drill. She has been put in an impossible situation. Gardaí have told her not to go back to Dublin city centre. She has submitted evidence from gardaí and letters from domestic violence groups to the council. She needs someone to take a decision to help. I ask the Minister to intervene.
The Dublin South Central constituency encompasses densely populated areas in the south-west inner city, including suburban areas like Crumlin, Inchicore and Walkinstown. I have witnessed an increase in significant antisocial behaviour, ubiquitous drug dealing and violent crime. Community policing and youth diversions under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael's stewardship have been minimal. We are now reaping the fruits of the laissez-faire attitude that every part of Dublin and area across the country are safe.
Following the economic crash, financial cuts stripped many communities of services and supports for youth projects and other facilities. Dublin 8 has no operational community centre after a fire destroyed Donore community centre nearly four years ago. It remains closed and a shell.
Last night, I hosted a residents' meeting in the Dublin 8 area. The frustration of residents who are subjected to regular wanton acts of violence on their property and threats to their persons is insupportable. They wonder if the Garda will not deploy forces to protect the hundreds of thousands of visitors in the premier tourist trail of the entire country, what chance have they, as residents of the community, of getting adequate protection?
I commend the local community gardaí on their hard work. They do their best with what little they have. The voice of residents is an untapped asset throughout our communities. Good people want to do the best for themselves, their neighbours and the wider area. They request to meet other residents' groups to discuss their experience and be supported by active training workshops so that they know they are not alone.
These types of meetings should be convened. It is very scary when an apartment complex, park or local shop is overrun and overtaken by those who offer only damage and serious threat. Has the process commenced to recruit the next Commissioner who has the confidence of An Garda Síochána? Can the new local community safety partnerships be established with somebody who is not in an un-resourced chairperson position?
I want to return to the issue of Garda numbers, as I often do, in regard to County Meath. County Meath is the county with the lowest number of gardaí per head of population, something which has been the case for a long time. By way of comparison, in 2009 there were 315 gardaí in County Meath, with a population at that time of 172,000 people. At the end of 2024, there were 316 gardaí, one more garda for a population of 225,000 people. We can see that there was a massive population increase, in excess of 50,000, but only one extra garda. The Minister will be aware of that. It has a real implication in terms of the ability of gardaí to cover the area well.
I have repeatedly raised this matter. I have raised the issue of the Garda resource allocation model and the number of recruits that are coming out of Templemore. I have been told that the allocation model is based on PULSE data and historic strength. The issue of historic strength is almost like the HSE idea of a block grant being based on what was received last year. We need to be more sophisticated in that regard.
The Minister mentioned CCTV. In my experience, having dealt with Meath County Council and local communities, things are unnecessarily complicated. There are many communities that do not have CCTV. Some communities have signed petitions for CCTV for years. There are issues regarding GDPR and data protection which still need to be resolved and those services put in place.
I want to raise the issue of online community safety and ensuring that legal protections are in place for people in the area of, for example, catfishing. I ask that question on the back of an issue raised by a local constituent with the Minister's Department which stated there are protections in place. When the person took the parliamentary reply to the local Garda station, gardaí said they could not work with it. There is a need for improvement there.
We have a lot to get through. The CSO statistics were worrying when it came to the increase in burglaries and many other crimes. Notwithstanding this, I believe the Irish public respect An Garda Síochána and has huge support for it. However, it is a force that is in crisis. I represent Templemore. There are huge issues across the board, primarily recruitment and retention, an area which is in total crisis. Unless there are radical changes, which, in fairness to the Minister, I have spoken to him about very briefly, I do not believe there is a hope of reaching the targets he has set.
Trainees are not paid enough. Wages and pensions will not entice people to join. A salary of €40,000 might seem like a lot of money, but coming to live in Dublin from down the country for that salary is not enticing in modern times. The age, educational requirements and fitness requirements have been dropped. The Minister will disagree, but despite dropping all of that people do not have to be fully vetted. I believe we are in serious trouble. I will write to every other State agency and Department in the country to see if the precedent set by An Garda Síochána can be used across every other agency as regards vetting. For me, this is non-negotiable. The public does not get this. People should be fully vetted before they enter Templemore.
Gardaí lack basic equipment. Sick leave is not being covered. Drugs and community Garda units are being filled, but there is no backfilling. Current Garda divisions, including Tipperary and east Clare, in my constituency, are not working. The 999 call system to Cork is nuts. It is a joke. Simply put, morale is on the floor.
The Minister said he will not attend the GRA conference. I believe that is a huge mistake. He should set a new line and attend it. The previous Minister did not attend because the Commissioner was not invited. If the Minister does not attend, I will. Somebody from the House should attend the conference. The Oireachtas should be represented there.
Gardaí do not feel that the Commissioner or the last Government have their back because they did not feel the last Government or Minister did. I am giving this Government a chance; it is to be hoped it will have their backs. Many questionable decisions have been made regarding how members of the force have been treated over the past number of years. I have spoken in the House about Limerick and issues in Dublin.
Those who have made protected disclosures or speak up often suffer as a result. One of the Minister's predecessors said in the House that what happened to Maurice McCabe can never happen again, and I hope the Minister will bring fresh eyes to the protected disclosures that have been made and their outcomes. I am thinking of John Barrett, the former head of HR, and how he was treated. I am thinking of Lois West, the former senior analyst who did statistics. I am thinking of those people as I stand here because they were treated very badly. I believe GSOC is not fit for purpose. I have to ask a question on the floor of the Dáil. Who is watching the watchers? It is a real issue.
In the time I have remaining, I want to raise some important issues and I hope the Minister takes them in a genuine way because they are issues I feel strongly about. As the Minister will be aware, over the past number of weeks I have asked a number of significant parliamentary questions of the Minister's Department regarding dangerously defective leather pistol holsters that were procured in a saddlery in Kildare. They were an issue until 23 March 2023, at which time, I understand, the Garda Commissioner advised the Minister's office that the holsters had been removed and shredded beyond use. I take it the Minister is familiar with these questions. In parliamentary question reference no. 3825/25, I asked whether concerns were raised.
The Minister did not respond that any concerns had been raised.
I asked for clarification from the Minister's Department and, amazingly, we suddenly found out concerns were raised in 2022. I then said that this was wrong, that it turns out concerns were raised in 2020. That is three responses to one letter. With these results, I am concerned about the Minister's departmental functioning. If they were all removed and shredded, as the Minister said in his response to my question, why can I get my hands on as many of them as I want, including the one I am holding in my hand now? These are the defective holsters.
I wish for the House to be aware that following an accidental discharge of an official issued Garda firearm on 11 June outside the Israeli Embassy, which resulted in life-changing injuries to the member carrying the weapon, it was discovered by forensic experts attached to the Garda National Technical Bureau that the leather pistol holster issued to the member was so dangerously defective, the holster could actually engage the trigger and fire the weapon of its own accord. It was further identified by the ballistic experts, who operate under ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, which is the legal requirement for all forensic laboratories, that the holster was so poorly designed, the firearm could be removed from the holster with so-called retention strap fully fastened. This left the gun open to removal by individuals other than the Garda member carrying the firearm. This critical health and safety risk later became the subject of a warning notice from the acting head of the Garda National Technical Bureau, given the very real concerns for the safety of Garda members.
Unfortunately, approximately one week later, on the night of 17 June 2020, the late Detective Garda Colm Horkan was murdered with his own official Garda firearm following an engagement with a now convicted murderer, Stephen Silver. There is no doubt Stephen Silver was the person who ultimately murdered Detective Garda Horkan. I am now aware, however, that the late detective was wearing one of the defective leather pistol holsters procured from the same equine saddlery in Kildare. Given what was known about the leather pistol holster removed from the scene of the accidental discharge on 11 June, a week earlier, the question must be asked whether the defective holster should have been investigated for that incident as well. The Minister might ask whether the forensic examination undertaken by the GNTB, as the expert forensic service to An Garda Síochána, showed Detective Garda Horkan's holster was also defective. For reasons unknown to me and the members of the GNTB, however, and this is the critical point, Detective Garda Horkan's holster was never presented to the GNTB for ballistic examination, despite the holster being gathered by GNTB crime investigators, bagged and tagged as a ballistic exhibit. The holster was labelled as DOL2A, in case the Minister wants to enquire from the Garda Commissioner why the exhibit was not presented to the appropriate section in An Garda Síochána.
Why was Detective Garda Horkan's holster not examined by a professional person qualified in the area under the standards required? Why was the safety notice issued to all chief superintendents in July 2020 and put on the Garda portal system in September 2020 not removed until 2023? Why did the Garda Commissioner not use the GNTB to assess the ballistics and other evidence from the shooting and murder of Detective Garda Horkan? Why was there a second report requested into the original incident outside the Israeli Embassy, which, amazingly, contradicted the first report saying the holster was defective? Why did the Garda Commissioner not issue a section 41 to notify the Minister of the issues regarding the holsters following two incidents, especially after notices had been put on Garda internal systems? Why did GSOC stop investigating a protected disclosure made in 2019 by someone working in firearms who had concerns regarding the holster? Is the Minister aware it was because of the non-compliance of the Commissioner following a level 4 request? Why did the Commissioner seek to remove a warning notice regarding the holsters in early 2020 when he could not have known whether they had all been handed in and replaced? These are serious questions. I tabled a pile of parliamentary questions to the Minister across several weeks, as he is aware. I would like him to take this on and investigate it further. I have exhausted how far I can take this and that is why I have raised it on the floor of the Dáil with him.
I also want to raise the issue of the 392 abandoned firearms left, inexplicably, in a container inside Garda Headquarters. This is an image of the inside of the container. I will give this image to the Minister. This is how firearms were stored by An Garda Síochána. A total of 392 firearms were discovered, with documentation located for only 102 firearms and no documentation found for the remaining 290 lethal firearms. Of the 392 firearms, only 154 were recorded on PULSE and 92 had no serial number. The Minister must accord the media reports which point out a Winchester pump-action shotgun was taken in by An Garda Síochána, first in 2009 under PID6311647 and, second, in 2023 under PID22772305. I understand this has been investigated by An Garda Síochána but why was a section 41 on this not put to the Minister on time? It is concerning section 41s are not being put to the Minister on time.. I am really concerned about why it took eight months for the Garda Commissioner to report this to the Minister's Department. Why did it take so long? There is a deep concern about this and what else we do not know regarding how firearms are managed, what happened inside that container and if there were any other instances we do not know about.
I have several other issues which I will raise with the Minister at another time, but I wish to raise one more. It relates to the discovery of 8 kg of pure cocaine mistakenly dumped by Forensic Science Ireland. Was the Minister alerted by either the Garda Commissioner or the director general of Forensic Science Ireland that, in April 2019, when Forensic Science Ireland, an agency within the Department of Justice was disposing of items, including a locker, in a basement area within the Garda Headquarters complex, those who were brought in from outside, a private company, realised the locker was heavier than all the other lockers, and when they opened it, out fell 8 kg of cocaine. How in the name of God did that happen? How was this possible and what knowledge did the Department have in this regard? Only for the fact the private company was so honourable, that cocaine could have ended up back on the streets. The company obviously dealt with it appropriately.
I have many more issues like those I have just raised, some very serious, to discuss with the Minister again. I will support him if he looks backwards as well as forwards in respect of the challenging issues we have in policing and in An Garda Síochána. I told him this to his face less than two hours ago, but please, Minister, make your own judgements and put fresh lenses on everything that has happened. Do not depend on just your Department. If you do that, I will support you. If he do that, you will be a successful Minister. If you do not, I guarantee on the floor of this Dáil that you will not.
The latest CSO figures on crime make for sombre reading. Burglaries increased by 10% last year, while thefts and assaults were at their highest level in five years. The illegal importation of drugs, destined to cripple communities and individuals throughout this country, increased by a remarkable 83% in the past 12 months, just short of double the previous year. In 2024, we saw 27 burglaries every single day, a 10% increase on 2023. Weapons and explosive offences went up by 11% and shootings increased by 40%.
We are beginning to see a downturn in many things in this country but one thing that is thriving is crime and criminality. Why? It is simply because of a lack of gardaí in our towns, villages and communities. Criminals are swanning around, safe in the knowledge they are unlikely to be stopped or apprehended and, when or if they are, the punishments for their crimes make their efforts worthwhile. I listened incredulously yesterday to a Limerick supermarket owner recount how, on a Friday, a persistent and consistent thief in his shop was given a six-week sentence for assaulting a member of his staff but was back stealing in that same shop three days later on the Monday. Stories like this one can be replicated in every town and village.
In my hometown of Wexford, local retailers consistently contact me with stories of antisocial behaviour, theft or attempted theft from shops. Antisocial behaviour seems to be a badge of honour among some who, despite a myriad of CCTV cameras around the town linked directly to the Garda station, carry on their insidious behaviour in broad daylight, safe in the knowledge that the lack of a Garda presence will see their carry-on go largely unchecked.
Last August, however, Wexford town played host to one of the most successful and well-attended events ever, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.
Some 650,000 people descended on the town for a wonderful carnival atmosphere, with hardly a single serious incident. How was that achieved? It was because of resources. That is the long and the short of it. The local superintendent, Jarlath Duffy, was given the required resources to ensure that he and his members could keep people safe, and keep them secure in the knowledge they were safe because of a visible garda presence. Resources are the key. What was also clearly apparent was the good morale of the gardaí at this event. They knew people had their back and were supporting them.
Community policing plays a major role in combating crime. This is particularly so for youngsters, who are at a stage where they can be steered away from criminality. I have seen at first hand the positive impact community gardaí can make by interacting with communities and gaining people's trust. Garda Kevin Burke in New Ross and Garda Anne Quirke and Sergeant David Ferriter in Wexford are just some of the gardaí who are making a real difference to their communities through their positive interactions with people and getting stuck into the issues. The Minister must give the Garda the necessary resources to make our towns and villages safe again.
I very much welcome this debate on the significant issue of community policing and community safety. It was a prominent issue for many people in my constituency before the recent general election. I wish the Minister the very best in his role. It is a difficult role and one that involves many demands. Safety, and giving people a sense of safety, is something we as a Government must prioritise. I welcome many of the initiatives in this area in the programme for Government. The target to increase the Garda force by 5,000 is very welcome. The provision of additional Garda staff is an important factor as it can free up gardaí for front-line policing. Equipping Garda stations as part of a capital plan is critical, as is the roll-out of CCTV, which is a tool we need to use to a greater extent. With the exception of a handful of towns, CCTV is only available in city centres at present. We need to roll it out to a far greater degree.
At its heart, policing should be preventative, proactive and visible. Unfortunately, at the moment, we do not have that. Our Garda force is not sufficiently strong and gardaí are stretched beyond belief in trying to fulfil their duties. It is difficult for them to get out on the streets to the extent they need to do. In Cork, we feel we are not getting a fair share of garda allocations. When the classes graduate from Templemore, Cork city division does not get a sufficient number. I have spoken to the Minister about that and I hope he will be mindful of it in the future.
Our Garda stations are no longer accessible to the public because they are not open to any great extent. In the area I represent, which includes towns with large population bases, Garda stations are open only a handful of hours per week. That is simply not acceptable. People want to be able to walk into a Garda station and carry out their business with a garda, whether that is passing on a complaint or discussing some issue of concern locally. It is something they should be able to do. I ask the Minister to take that matter up with Garda management. The policing model must be about accessibility in terms of Garda station opening hours and local visibility.
As well as our overall targets for recruitment and retaining the gardaí we already have, we must look at the role of gardaí and how they spend their time. Much of that time is not spent out on the street policing in a visible way. They are behind a desk dealing with paperwork, stuck in court waiting to give evidence and so on. This is a critical aspect of the job to which consideration must be given. It is not all about recruitment and retention. We must see how we can use the resources we have to a far greater extent.
I raise a specific point that I hope the Minister can address. On my way here today, I had a discussion with a person who, for family reasons, had to leave the Garda a couple of years ago. This person looked for a career break but could not secure it. For obvious reasons, Garda management does not want to release members of the force. Having had to resign, this person is now seeking reinstatement to the force, which is possible to do within a five-year period. Unfortunately, this former garda has been told the process of reinstatement could take up to ten months. That seems absolutely ludicrous. These are fully qualified gardaí looking to get back into the force. They are fully attested and ready and willing to go on duty but they are being told that, for some reason, it could take up to ten months to be re-attested. Will the Minister address this matter? These are gardaí we need to get back out on the streets. They are willing to do it.
I congratulate the Minister on his appointment and wish him well in his role. I have no doubt he will be an innovative Minister. The importance of this issue is highlighted by the fact virtually every Fianna Fáil backbencher is looking to avail of the very small amounts of speaking time accorded to back bench Deputies to partake in this debate. I welcome the Minister's clear statement that he supports the Garda and recognises the strong role of gardaí. That is more effective than those who choose to eulogise an individual who was suspected of being involved in the murder of a member of An Garda Síochána and a member of the Defence Forces, which shows little support for the State and those who bravely don the uniform of the State.
Like others, I recognise the community work done by so many gardaí. I am concerned about garda numbers. Counties Wicklow and Wexford are two of the fastest growing areas of the country. At the end of 2021, the total number of gardaí in the Wicklow-Wexford division was 637. At the end of 2024, it was 617. During that period, because of growth at Rosslare Europort, extra responsibilities have been applied to gardaí in the area. Increased garda numbers are critical.
I will briefly mention two other issues that are important to address. One relates to cybercrime and cyber fraud. The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau has reported that the cost of this crime amounted to €237 million between 2020 and 2023. This is a growing area of concern. We need more specialist gardaí focused on the area of cybercrime. It is a cost to business and it is not a victimless crime.
The other issue is one also raised by Deputy Lawlor, namely, the safety of retail workers. During the term of the previous Seanad, I brought forward specific legislation regarding criminal attacks on retail workers. There is a view that shoplifting in some areas is a crime that is being treated with immunity. Shop workers are not being protected. We must take a much tougher line on retail crime. I hope the Minister will treat it as a priority.
I congratulate the Minister and wish him the very best in what is a tough role. I welcome the statements that have been made in the Chamber about support for, investment in and resources for An Garda Síochána. However, I was dismayed to hear on the news today that the bulk of new gardaí are going to Dublin city centre. We in Dún Laoghaire need gardaí as well. One of the complaints I hear from people locally is that they do not see gardaí on the beat or the Garda presence in the community that is necessary. Kill O'The Grange and Dalkey Garda stations have been closed. Although the gardaí in Dún Laoghaire are doing their level best, they need more gardaí to join their ranks to police the area.
I welcome the Garda Commissioner's decision to allow gardaí to pursue people - it is mostly young people - on scooters. Those wearing no reflective gear are almost invisible on the road. They are zooming through housing estates and parks and are an absolute menace. For a long time, gardaí were telling me they could not pursue them because the protocols did not allow them to do so. I welcome the change in that regard.
Where I live, in Honeypark in Dún Laoghaire, there is a particular issue in that we have a massive problem with antisocial behaviour. There is a park within Honeypark that was taken in charge by the council. As part of that process, the council took down a fence. Local residents were implacably imposed to that decision because they foresaw that it would make it much easier for people to access the park after dark and engage in antisocial behaviour. We have had a myriad of fires set in playgrounds, in bushes and in trees. Benches have been torn off the promenade and thrown into the artificial lake. It is totally unacceptable. I give credit to Superintendent Brian Halligan and his team in Dún Laoghaire, who have done their level best to attend when calls have been made. I do not know how many times I have been in contact with Superintendent Halligan about this issue. Even today, I spoke to him about it. He has confirmed that he wants people to report these incidents. Every time they have been reported, gardaí have attended, as have members of Dublin Fire Brigade from around the corner in Kill Avenue, who have come to put out fires. Is it not a ferocious waste of their time to be doing that?
Residents foresaw this happening and said they did not want the council to remove the fence but they did not have the power to stop it. My colleagues on the council did not have to power to stop it. There seems to be a body within the council that pushed ahead anyway. Now we have a situation where the time of gardaí is being wasted. I am not sure how effective they can be because most of the people committing these offences are juveniles. Most of them are from the local area and, in some instances, are known to gardaí. Where antisocial behaviour, vandalism and criminal damage are ongoing, gardaí need the powers to deal with them.
They need the resources to be able to go in there and do what needs to be done to stop it happening. It is grossly unfair on the people living in Honeypark that they have to live in an area where this is going on, night after night. Resourcing and support for the Garda are the only thing that will stop it.
I also wish the Minister well in his new role. I also wish to comment on the positive recruitment campaign for gardaí that was launched recently and to encourage people to consider the Garda as a positive career choice. We are fortunate to have an excellent police force, obviously throughout the country but in Kildare specifically. Community gardaí, such as Garda Aidan McGuane, contribute so much to the community. Community policing has been a resounding success in this country.
We are, however, massively under-resourced in Kildare. We have the second lowest garda ratio number in the country. Four towns in Kildare North - Maynooth, Celbridge, Clane and Kilcock - have part-time stations. The approach the Leixlip district has taken is a hub and spoke approach. Maynooth, my hometown, for example, has a population of 17,000 people. Add on to that 14,000 students and you have a population of 31,000 in the town of Maynooth without a full-time Garda station. If you were to look anywhere else in the country, you would be hard pressed to find a town of that size without a full-time Garda station. The recent regional spatial and economic strategy, RSES, allocated an additional population of 10,000 people to Maynooth. Will we be at a stage where we have a town of 41,000 people without a full-time Garda station? Celbridge has a population of 21,000 people. What I am looking at with Maynooth and Celbridge, in particular, is a Garda station locally that is open only two hours per day. With populations that big and with populations that are growing, such core towns, not only in Kildare but also in Wicklow and Meath, for example, need to be resourced properly. Naturally, I am looking to Kildare North specifically. What I am asking is that the Minister look at the resourcing and the allocation of new gardaí coming on board and look favourably on a full-time Garda station for Maynooth and for Celbridge and, further down the line, for Clane and for Kilcock.
I also bring to the Minister's attention numerous incidents that have been happening on the main street of Celbridge. The Garda is aware of this. I had four business people and people in the community in to my constituency office yesterday who are basically scared of what is happening in the town centre. Young women are afraid to walk down the town centre. The business people are claiming they are losing business because of what is happening. There is a lack of footfall in the town centre because of what is happening. Perhaps the Minister would speak to the superintendent in the district about this particular issue in Celbridge and, as I said, look favourably on a full-time Garda station for both Maynooth and Celbridge.
I dtosach báire, tréaslaím leis an Aire as a ról nua. Táim ag súil go mór le h-oibriú leis amach anseo. I congratulate the Minister on his role. I know Deputy Jim O'Callaghan will approach this with the energy with which he approached it as our party's spokesperson in the previous Dáil.
At the outset, I have had the privilege of working with some of the finest members of An Garda Síochána during my time as a county councillor and as chairperson of south Dublin county joint policing committee. They exemplify in many ways the values that are inherent and intrinsic to the objectives of that force in building a relationship with their community.
Obviously, we have pressures in my area of Dublin Mid-West that I wish to bring to the Minister's attention, such as the need for a 24-hour Garda station in Rathcoole, the need to unify all of Palmerstown under the one Garda district so that it is coincident with existing administrative boundaries, and the need to ensure appropriate staffing of both community Garda and specialist units in Lucan and Clondalkin Garda stations. I also want to talk in general about An Garda Síochána and, alluding to what Deputy Séamus McGrath said earlier, about the role of An Garda Síochána. How can we make it better and easier for people to join An Garda Síochána? I compliment the very successful recruitment campaign that has commenced and hope it yields the numbers we so desperately need in the force. I am also thinking in terms of the equipment that is made available to members of An Garda Síochána, ensuring the speedy and timely roll-out and use of bodycams by gardaí dealing with violent and threatening behaviour, looking at the adoption of facial-recognition technology, and ensuring An Garda Síochána is properly resourced to deal with the threats of cybersecurity that emanate not only from international bad actors but also from domestic gangs here at home.
A number of references have been made to the use of the legislation to deal with scramblers in our communities. Scramblers are a scourge in Dublin Mid-West. I encourage the Minister to look at innovative solutions such as drones or unmanned aerial vehicles to see the source of these scramblers and to make sure they are seized and taken away as threats to communities.
In terms of how gardaí do their work, we need to look at solutions such as custody suites, where detained prisoners are kept in a central location, to enable even greater coverage of a geographic area. That will free up a custody sergeant rather than leaving them in one station. Looking at the evidential requirements that are on gardaí to present themselves to a court to hear evidence, that might also tie up the use of a Garda vehicle and that garda's partner in presenting that evidence. We should make sure procedures such as that are dealt with. We should look at all those members who are retiring from An Garda Síochána but still want to work. I am thinking of people who might retire from inspector grade who are sworn members and who know how dispatch works. Is there a role for them in staffing the Garda stations at night to make sure that all available sworn and active members are able to be out on the beat? We need to look at those roles.
We must look also at community safety, in an holistic and roundabout way. It must be done with local authorities in designing out aspects of the public realm, for example, that might promote antisocial behaviour.
These are the sort of things that I would encourage the Minister to take on board in his term ahead and I look forward to working with him.
As I rise to speak on statements on policing and community safety, I take the opportunity to remember an Independent councillor, Councillor Anthony Waldron, who died suddenly last month. Councillor Waldron had established the Enough is Enough campaign against rural crime in County Roscommon and it was an issue I had discussed with him at a number of events he held. I remember him here this evening.
Garda numbers are falling and continue to fall across Roscommon and Galway. There is a lack of visibility across all of our rural towns and this is leading to a dramatic rise in both antisocial behaviour and, in the case specifically of west Roscommon and north Galway, an ongoing issue this past year in terms of the number of burglaries, which has been rising all of the time.
I ask the Minister that communities would be better supported in terms of community alert. There are some supports, but we need to do a great deal more to build that relationship between local gardaí, who are typically not from the area, and the local community. Much of that has been lost and it is important we get that back.
I ask the Minister, as I asked his predecessor, for a specific policing plan for rural Ireland when it comes to prioritising those areas where Garda stations have closed and where Garda numbers are down. A specific rural Garda plan would be really important.
I take this opportunity to raise an issue with the Minister regarding Garda transfers. This is an issue I have raised with the Commissioner on many occasions but, unfortunately, he does not seem to see an issue with the process that is currently in place. I have spoken to a number of young gardaí who have been forced to leave their roles. They did not want to but they could no longer continue. They may be driving up and down on long commutes, renting somewhere and trying to build a house at home, so they look for transfers but get no information on when they might be transferred. I appreciate gardaí cannot be in their own backyard. Most of them do not want to be anyway. I have said to the Commissioner that a person could have the opportunity to transfer after a certain number of years away, even within their own division or even within an hour from home. We have an issue with recruitment and retention and yet we are losing good gardaí because they cannot plan their futures, build a home and build a family in their area. It is a major issue that should be dealt with.
The right to feel safe in your home, in your community and on the streets is precious. As a TD for Dublin Central, I represent communities who could write volumes on how that right has been systematically taken away from them.
It is shameful that families who live in strong, resilient and vibrant communities, people who work in the centre of Dublin and those who visit our capital city are so often met with a climate of fear and a sense of constantly looking over their shoulder, one which has developed because of criminal gangs who prey on communities but also because of open drug dealing, drug taking, on-street nuisance drinking and threatening antisocial behaviour. This sense of danger has grown, and in core areas of Dublin city centre, the neglect has been spectacular. Places such as Talbot Street, O'Connell Street, Mary Street and the quays were places of business, of busyness, of hustle and bustle and yet they have been allowed go to rack and ruin.
Every community group I speak to, every youth group and youth diversion project all say the same thing: that people’s sense of safety is gone largely because of a lack of Garda visibility and presence, and that is because there are not enough front-line gardaí doing what they do best on the street, on the beat, in the community.
The hard truth is that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have presided over devastating cuts to community garda numbers. For example, in the Dublin north central area the community had 139 community gardaí in 2014. By the end of last year, that was down to just 82. That represents a cut of 40%. How on earth are communities meant to feel safe when gardaí do not have the manpower and the resources they need?
Of course, the gardaí cannot do all the heavy lifting on their own. We need to invest ambitiously in our communities and community infrastructure and in particular in our young people. The Government needs to get its act together. We need more gardaí on our streets, and more investment in community and youth services, youth diversion programmes, rehabilitation and in our probation service. We need a response from the Government that matches the scale of the problem and we need it fast.
I wish the Minister well in his new role.
Thank you.
It is a rare privilege in any walk of life to be able to walk to work. I enjoy that luxury, which is one not many have, four or five times a week in this city. Many of us come to the Chamber from different directions of the city. I sometimes wonder if we come from different Dublins. When I leave my house in the morning, I start in Mountjoy Street and move on to Dorset Street down through Parnell Street, cutting through Moore Street up around the GPO and across O’Connell Bridge. I see a Dublin that I adore and have known since childhood, but it seems somewhat broken and something is amiss. I see the type of instances that make my city feel unsafe, which is the reason we are here today. I see huge levels of dereliction and people in the throes of addiction. It is no individual failure but there is a sense of a State which has been structurally violent in its oppression. I see young people acting out, which manifests in ways that many Deputies have spoken about today. I think of the old quote from, I think, Frankenstein: when all good to me be lost, “Evil thenceforth became my good”.
I do not see the necessary type of desire, drive and love for the city. We all recognise there will not be a uniquely policing solution to the issues we face. Not only must it be holistic, but it must come with a collective approach and from different angles because what makes my city unsafe - I am sure this is the case for cities the length and breadth of the country, as many Deputies have spoken about - is not only individuals but also the conditions. That has to be confronted, rather than marching in like Humpty Dumpty after an issue has arisen to say that someone must do something about it. It is not about talking tough, but about a constructive plan and a co-ordinated sense of what we are looking to achieve and how we go about doing that. Only through that kind approach will we achieve the outcome we all desire, namely a reduction in violence. We can talk tough about increased sentences - I appreciate that among the public and those who have experienced crime there may well be a sense for retribution and justice alone – but as legislators in this Chamber, we should look to see what reduces crime.
We ask much of the gardaí who serve on our streets. We agree that there is a collective sense among all of us that we need more gardaí. That was not always the case. Huge work has been done over the last decade especially to bring a sense of cohesion and foster better relationships. However, to continue that kind of approach the gardaí need resourcing. We can all be cheerleaders for more gardaí. The Minister has said we should look to get more people from our constituencies into the force, but he will understand that a garda on probation will have a salary of €32,000 to €33,000. That goes up over a decade to over €50,000. They cannot live in the city they are being asked to police on that wage. Regardless of how great the job is or how much it might bring honour to a person and their family, I do not think we can expect anyone who is on that type of wage and is asked to do the type of work we ask our gardaí to do to wake up in the morning and be excited about bills coming through their door which they will not be able to pay. We all know that - it is the fundamental reason we are struggling to bring gardaí into the service and so many younger gardaí are leaving the force. If we had a Garda retention officer, I am confident that is what would be captured. We can cheerlead, but we cannot deny the reality that people cannot afford to live in the areas we are asking them to police.
A number of people have raised issues around stop and search, and have said we need to advance stop and search. I understand calls for that from the public and I understand why it might be seen as a simple solution. I appreciate that where it is in effect now, it is having some results. However, I cannot support a policy that is not backed by data and where there is no effective oversight by a secondary organisation rather than those we are asking to do it. Someone who was stopped on the street and found to have a knife in their bag they could understand why they were stopped - that is where the approach is working well - but a young person who was stopped on the street and was not found to have a knife might have just cause in asking why they had been stopped. If they were stopped again the following day, they might ask what was going on. In other jurisdictions there has been profiling based on race and other aspects so if we are going to increase the use of stop and search, why not increase oversight alongside it? Then it would absolutely have my support. The same goes for facial recognition technology. These are great powers. Inevitably, we cannot stand in the way of what is already going to happen but surely good oversight of something like facial recognition is what we need. When that comes forward and the legislation comes through, the Minister needs to make sure we have the oversight mechanisms alongside them. These are most important conversations.
There are already concerns about Garda data logging and crime recording procedures. Those issues have been well discussed in the Chamber. The reliability of crime statistics does not give us a full understanding of what is happening in our communities. The PULSE system, which is supposed to be the backbone of Garda crime recording, has been under scrutiny for its inconsistencies, errors and gaps. When crimes are reported and not officially recorded, as in so many cases, it not only misleads the public but also creates a false sense of security. The Garda faces immense pressures but the State cannot fail to provide the means by which it can actively log incidents. This is necessary to ensure we do not distort the picture of crime in the country.
There are other areas in which I have been disappointed in recent months. After the terrible incident happened in Stoneybatter in my constituency, I raised it in the Dáil. The Minister asked who could have foreseen that a person could have been attacked in Stoneybatter at 3 o'clock on a Sunday. I had to step back and remember all the public meetings I attended in Stoneybatter over the last six months when communities were mobilising and saying somebody would be attacked. Inevitably, somebody was attacked. There are conditions which create not only a sense but a reality of unsafety in this city. Those conditions create places where people are more likely to get attacked than other places in the city. We have to understand the factors which cause this. For example, we have to understand the mental health crisis and try to legislate and act around that.
In the brief time I have left, I would like to speak about the inner city task force, which the Minister mentioned. I do not doubt for a second that the inner city task force received money where services have been cut. However, I cannot point to lots of successes. Drug dealing is still on the rise as is violent crime. The city centre task force, which I heard the Minister mention on the radio, has-----
Thank you Deputy.
-----had no budget allocated for it yet, eight months after it was initiated.
This is your colleague’s time, Deputy.
There are no revenue streams. That is an insult to the city when we have PR and no allocation of budget.
I call Deputy Whitmore.
I congratulate the Minister on his appointment to this role and wish him the best for the future. When I think about policing in Ireland, it strikes me that to date we have been very lucky in that as a nation, we have always held our gardaí in such a high degree of respect. The relationship between the gardaí and our communities has always been very strong. When one looks at other countries where they have not got that right, one can really see what a difficult situation that creates in towns across those countries. It leads to a very divisive type of policing. That is something we need to recognise here. However, in recent years under-resourcing of An Garda Síochána has made life very difficult for gardaí. When I was in school, many of my friends were so excited to get into the gardaí. They tried and tried and eventually they got in. They were so honoured and proud to do it but when I speak to those same gardaí now, they are really beaten down and they just cannot wait to get out.
That is a very difficult place not only for them individually but, as a State, it is something we need to recognise. The culture and the pressures put on gardaí at the moment make it very difficult for them and I hope that over the course of this term, the Minister will be able to address some of those issues.
When I speak to my people in my constituency about the Garda, they recognise that the relationship with the Garda has always been very good, but it is said to me all the time that people just do not see gardaí anymore. It does not matter whether that is in Blessington, Bray or Wicklow town. Everyone will say they never see a garda on the streets. There are gardaí who are working very hard in the stations, but there just are not enough of them and that message has been put consistently to the Minister during this debate. The area of community gardaí is one where a reduction in numbers is really impacting on the ability of gardaí to form those relationships with community members and young, vulnerable and older people. Where gardaí know the names, circumstances and stories of people within the communities, they can act as a preventative force and not just deal with issues as they arise. That is one area on which I would love to see a greater focus. Throughout County Wicklow, there are only nine community gardaí. For 156,000 people, that is one community garda per 17,000 people. I know many of those community gardaí and they do incredible work, but there are not enough of them. A lot of the time, they are taken off their community garda role when other issues arise and they are needed in other parts of the Garda system.
A constituent of mine who contacted me this week is a mature applicant to the Garda recruitment process. He has passed the recruitment stage and has been awaiting vetting for months. It was 2024 when he applied, although he raised the issue that some people have been waiting for up to a year to be vetted. Obviously, when we do not have enough gardaí, that is a key aspect. The Minister might look into the vetting process, and it would be great if he would examine that particular case.
Yes. The Deputy might give me his name after the debate.
I wish the Minister the best of luck in his new role. I have been contacted by many constituents in Dublin South-Central since I was elected in November - in fact, when I was a councillor from June until November 2024, people were contacting me about this issue - about the lack of a Garda presence and the persistent antisocial behaviour around the Fatima Luas station in Rialto. It has been reported to me that people of all ages, including children, are dealing drugs there openly and without challenge. Last summer – this is kind of by the by - wildflowers were growing there, along a linear park. I do not know whether the Minister knows Dublin 8 well, but it has a very limited number of green space areas and that space was hard fought for. It was granted and the area was lined beautifully with wildflowers, but the drug dealing continued. The answer to the drug dealing was to cut down the wildflowers, but the drug dealing still continued. It did not deter the drug dealing, and the flowers are gone. This is affecting people who use the hospital or live in the area. I dread that when the children's hospital eventually opens, if people choose to bring their sick children on the Luas to the hospital, they will have to pass gangs of people dealing drugs. It is absolutely unacceptable. People are feeling intimidated and scared and are living in fear in that area. It is just not good enough.
On the issue of children dealing drugs, I would love to know what happened to Fagin's law. Does it exist anymore and is it being implemented? Has anyone ever been charged under the law? The law itself is flawed because the child has to give evidence against the adult who has groomed them into a life of crime, which is totally unacceptable. We obviously need to provide adequate levels of support for people who are in vulnerable positions and find themselves needing to deal drugs or become involved in antisocial behaviour, but we also need to spread those services throughout this city and not just have clumps of them in certain areas. Dublin 8 has a high concentration of people in addiction and with mental health problems who need a lot of support.
I am banging on about the school completion programme today because a second Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, report that has just been released lauds how well that programme is doing, but it also asks for the final parts of the governance and employment structure to be implemented. As other contributors have said, youth workers, youth services, Garda youth diversion and the school completion programme all need to be fully resourced to be able to help young people and children with prosocial activities and skills throughout the school day, after school and during holiday time.
I am sure the Minister knows about the organisation Sporting Liberties.
I know it well.
That organisation and my own local GAA club, Kevin's Hurling and Camogie Club, have been fighting for decades for sporting facilities. We are looking for pitches. I know we are getting close to St. Teresa's Gardens having those pitches and the same is true of Marrowbone Lane, but many of the children who need that service now will be adults by the time those facilities come in. In fact, a lot of people who were children when this process started are now adults. We really need that to be moved on and for all the powers we have in this Chamber and Dublin City Council to make sure they are there. When people have something to do, they will not get involved in other things, and when they are supported with services, they will not get involved in antisocial behaviour. When there is a Garda presence, it deters people from antisocial behaviour and intimidation. With that combination, we have the possibility, in Dublin 8 and throughout this city, of living in a safer community.
I congratulate the Minister on his appointment and wish him the best of luck in the years ahead. I look forward to working with him on a number of issues, whether crime, justice or policing.
Templemore Garda College was established in 1964 in my constituency by a Fianna Fáil Government. It has a proud history as an institution of this State in training our bravest and brightest to fight on the front lines. It is not only a source of national pride but also one of local pride in north Tipperary. The Garda College is an integral part of the local economy of Templemore and the surrounding areas. I welcome the fact the programme for Government commits to training 5,000 gardaí over the course of the Government, plus Garda staff. That is an ambition but it is an absolutely necessary one. I also welcome the fact we will continue to support the Garda Training College in Templemore to reform the Garda recruitment and training processes, to increase capacity and to widen the talent pool, which will include expanding capacity at Templemore Garda Training College. I welcome that commitment because the depot in Templemore needs that investment. It is bursting at the seams at the moment, for the first time in a long time, and that is a positive thing. We need more facilities, spaces, accommodation and car parking.
The programme for Government also commits to considering allowing Garda trainees to undergo part of their training courses in regional base universities or technical universities, examining the introduction of an accelerated graduate entry programme for An Garda Síochána and increasing the Garda training allowance. If this gets more gardaí into the force and more gardaí onto our streets and roads and into our rural areas, I welcome it, but it should not and must not take from the vital overall provision of training the depot in Templemore provides. Templemore has been at the centre of Garda training in this country for 60 years. It should and must remain so for another 60 years and far beyond that. Investment to improve the capacity, infrastructure and facilities in Templemore is required and is something we should act on with a sense of determination and ambition to deliver. It is welcome that the Minister will be in Templemore this Friday for a passing-out ceremony. I look forward to welcoming him to north Tipperary and the depot in Templemore.
On rural Garda numbers, I might give the case of Cloughjordan, where a spate of robberies recently took place. In one case, gardaí had to come from Birr, which seems completely unacceptable. I know we have committed to training 5,000 gardaí and the issues in Dublin are vital at the moment, as I see myself when I am in the city weekly, but rural gardaí and rural Garda numbers must remain a priority.
I thank the Minister for the proactive work he has done in his brief, which I have no doubt will continue as we deliver on our programme for Government commitments.
There is little doubt this Government and our Fianna Fáil party are putting law and order at the centre of our work for the next five years.
The nature of the crime faced by our citizens is constantly changing. Success in reducing a type of crime in one area sees different forms of crime spring up in other areas. Making sure the right number of equipped and motivated gardaí are deployed in the right areas is very important. The public needs to see gardaí in our communities. We know once they are deployed they generally deliver so much more to their communities than just policing.
The benefits of community policing go far beyond dealing with crime alone. It makes people feel safe. It motivates gardaí. It has a significant preventative effect on crime and, if done correctly, can resolve conflicts within communities much more quickly.
I know the programme for Government sets out ambitious targets for Garda recruitment and this is to be welcomed and should be coupled with a national strategy to enhance the Garda's ability and competence in respect of community policing . In towns throughout Ireland they are not just working in their communities but for them in terms of doing fundraisers, supporting local community groups and engaging with local people. Community police are the ambassadors for the Garda. Trim's community garda, Edel, is a positive, welcome and visible presence all around our town.
From speaking to gardaí during the past few months it is clear the amount of time spent on administration has increased exponentially over the past few years. This is affecting morale and you can be sure it impacts the numbers applying for roles within the Garda. The people need to see the force. We need to put names to the faces of our gardaí and get them out from behind their desks and onto the streets. Garda strategy needs to focus on reducing the reducing the administrative burden on gardaí so they can get out into our communities. We need them, our community gardaí, in our schools talking to our young people, meeting them and deterring them from even the pettiest of crimes.
Recent CSO studies show a 7% increase in theft, with the majority of these incidents being shoplifting. This is a plague on small businesses and is a worrying trend because it often precedes an increase in more serious crime. Indeed, the recent CSO statistics show a 10% increase in burglaries in 2024. In my own constituency of Meath West, we have seen a spate of recent burglaries of commercial businesses in our small rural villages.
Not all the crime in Ireland is happening just in the city centre. A family-run café in Kildalkey was targeted twice in recent weeks. A local butcher and chipper in Ballivor were raided on the same night last week also. These sorts of thefts are really painful in the short term, but the resultant increase in insurance costs can be fatal in the medium term. We cannot let rural entrepreneurs be preyed upon by opportunistic criminals. We want businesses to thrive in our villages. We need them to provide services to people, as well as to pay their rates and taxes.
We are told the retail and restaurant sector is under significant pressure. Too many main streets in towns and villages have boarded-up windows. Let us not replace them with broken windows by letting crime take root. A review of Garda numbers by county shows the Meath and Westmeath region has among the lowest levels of gardaí in the country. I suggest the Minister should focus existing resources in the Meath area on preventing further burglaries and crime taking off for the sake of local businesses and the safety of citizens living in our small towns and villages. I ask the Minister that new gardaí who come on stream are not just automatically sent to the high-crime areas. Places like Meath West, with an increased Garda presence now, will come back from the brink of high crime rates. It is a preventative measure, if you will. This means feet on the street, more community gardaí, and rural stations to be manned again. I welcome the commitment by the Government to recruit more gardaí through the recently launched recruitment campaign entitled, "It's a Job Worth Doing".
Deputy Daly, I am afraid there are only two minutes left in this time slot. He can resile until tomorrow or I can interrupt him in the middle of his contribution and he can resume it tomorrow.
Tomorrow is fine. I thank the Ceann Comhairle.