I thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for giving me the opportunity to call on the Minister for Justice to create a mounted Garda unit for Dublin as a publicly acceptable and cost effective way of upgrading Garda presence in the city centre and at major events.
We should use technology to do a better job. The great advantage of technology is that it allows people to extend their reach. This is particularly true in terms of serving people in businesses such as my own or in services such as those provided by the Garda Síochána. It has invested heavily in technology, such as sophisticated radio and telecommunications systems and computers. This technology extends the reach of the men and women who work in the Garda Síochána. It makes it possible for them to do more than ever before. We must remind ourselves that technology is not only about microchips or about making multi-million pound investments. Sometimes it can be used in a homely way and at modest expense. The technology I talk about is mounted gardaí. We do not regard horses as coming under the heading of technology but that is how we should look at it when we think of mounted police. It is a technology used to great effect in many countries and I suggest we should adopt it here.
On a horse a garda can do things he or she could not do otherwise. They can see and be seen much better. Some police forces reckon that a mounted policeman, in terms of creating a useful, visible presence, is equal to six policemen on foot. A garda is more mobile on a horse. He can move much faster than he could ever run and can go places a car cannot. Mounted police have a potentially valuable role in patrolling city centre areas, particularly pedestrianised areas at night. Their usefulness in crowd control at demonstrations or sporting events is also well known. Mounted police are not a colourful relic of bygone days, colourful though they are, but a part of modern policing methods.
This is not a new idea. I was reminded of it in Vienna three weeks ago. Mounted police were to be seen on the streets of the city at 3 o'clock in the afternoon of a normal day. When I checked it out, I discovered that practically every city in Europe and America has a mounted police patrol. If anyone passing the Department of Justice earlier today ran into a cloud of smog, it would have been from the mountain of old files on this subject which were being dusted down. Apparently, it is not a new idea and has often been put forward. However, it usually ended up on the shelf. Everyone has always said it is a great idea, especially the Garda. However, every time it was raised, there was a constraint on resources although it is not a costly initiative and has been costed. The money did not exist for it and priorities always lay elsewhere.
I raise this issue because the time has come to implement this idea. If ever there were a win-win situation, this is it. The comparatively small investment required will be repaid itself many times over. There is a palpable need for more effective policing on the streets of Dublin and there is a vociferous public demand for it. Measures must and have already been taken and more will be taken. I see this suggestion fitting in with the measures taken. I do not suggest that every garda should be on horseback but rather there should be a small unit of 12 horses for Dublin. That may not seem a lot but its effect on the quality of policing would be dramatic.
People often call for extra police measures to cope with rising crime. There is a strong demand for more effective policing. At the same time, people do not want Ireland to become a police state. I was at the Ireland v England football match in Lansdowne Road a couple of years ago. I saw a riot occur. Riots are infrequent in Ireland but there is a possibility that they may occur in the future. If we are to control riots, plastic bullets and water cannons are not acceptable. Mounted police are effective in controlling riots and, if we had them available for that, it would be a good investment in the future. Mounted police are also a way of increasing Garda presence which is acceptable to all and in a way people may find attractive.
O'Connell Street is becoming more pedestrianised and it is not always the safest place at night or even during the day. Mounted gardaí patrolling O'Connell Street would have a visibility and presence which would make itself felt. I understand and believe the Garda approves of it. Their height alone would have an effect which eight, ten, 12 or 14 gardaí would not. It would have a deterrent effect. The amount of drugs and drunkenness in the city centre sometimes gives rise to trouble which might not happen if a small number of mounted gardaí were present.
There are some side benefits. A mounted Garda unit would help promote our horse industry to the outside world. It would provide colour on ceremonial occassions although I have been informed by Senator Henry that the Blue Huzzar uniforms have been sold to Guinness. These are only the icing on the cake. The real advantage is it offers more effective policing at relatively little cost. The costs have been calculated and are in the files. I hope I am pushing an open door on this occasion.