Is the amendment being pressed?
Garda Resources: Motion (Resumed)
The following motion was moved by Senator Denis O'Donovan on Wednesday, 6 February 2013:
That Seanad Éireann:
— acknowledges the central role that An Garda Síochána has played in providing security for the State and the people of Ireland since its foundation;
— recognises the vital need for a well resourced, strong Garda force in tackling the evolving threat of criminality in Ireland;
— records the views of the Garda Commissioner that he would not like to see the strength of the force drop below 13,000 members;
— notes the pivotal role that Garda stations play in the fabric of rural Ireland, their central position in the life of the towns and villages they serve and their part in effective, on the ground community policing;
— notes with grave concern the disturbing rise in burglary levels across the country, particularly in commuter belt areas and the impact this has had on the safety and security of the family home across the country;
— observes the disturbing number of illegal dissident actions in the past number of months and the growing threat of dissident terrorist activity;
— further notes the rise in gangland related murders in 2012 and the ongoing threat of gangland violence across the country;
— strongly criticises the draconian closure of 140 Garda stations across the State with over 100 stations that closed on 31 January 2013, particularly in vulnerable rural areas where appalling crimes on isolated elderly homeowners have taken place and in busy urban stations such as Stepaside and Kill O the Grange in Dublin;
— fully opposes the covert reduction in Garda numbers to dangerously low levels through the whittling away of the Garda payroll that jeopardises the effectiveness of the force in protecting Irish citizens;
— vehemently disagrees with the Government’s failure to address the degradation of the Garda vehicle fleet which has an integral part in tackling crime;
— calls on the Minister for Justice and Equality to reopen Templemore to Garda recruitment to ensure the force does not fall to negligent strength; and
— further calls on the Minister to reverse his attack on the physical infrastructure of rural Ireland and stop the closure of Garda stations across the country.
Tá
- Barrett, Sean D.
- Bradford, Paul.
- Brennan, Terry.
- Burke, Colm.
- Clune, Deirdre.
- Coghlan, Eamonn.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Comiskey, Michael.
- Conway, Martin.
- Crown, John.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- D'Arcy, Jim.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Gilroy, John.
- Harte, Jimmy.
- Hayden, Aideen.
- Healy Eames, Fidelma.
- Higgins, Lorraine.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Landy, Denis.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Moran, Mary.
- Mulcahy, Tony.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Noone, Catherine.
- O'Donnell, Marie-Louise.
- O'Neill, Pat.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Whelan, John.
Níl
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Mark.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Ó Clochartaigh, Trevor.
- Ó Domhnaill, Brian.
- O'Donovan, Denis.
- O'Sullivan, Ned.
- Power, Averil.
- Walsh, Jim.
- White, Mary M.
- Wilson, Diarmuid.
Amendment No. 2 cannot be moved.
Tá
- Barrett, Sean D.
- Bradford, Paul.
- Brennan, Terry.
- Burke, Colm.
- Clune, Deirdre.
- Coghlan, Eamonn.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Comiskey, Michael.
- Conway, Martin.
- Crown, John.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- D'Arcy, Jim.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Gilroy, John.
- Harte, Jimmy.
- Hayden, Aideen.
- Healy Eames, Fidelma.
- Higgins, Lorraine.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Landy, Denis.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Moran, Mary.
- Mulcahy, Tony.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Noone, Catherine.
- O'Donnell, Marie-Louise.
- O'Neill, Pat.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Whelan, John.
Níl
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Mark.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Ó Clochartaigh, Trevor.
- Ó Domhnaill, Brian.
- O'Donovan, Denis.
- O'Sullivan, Ned.
- Power, Averil.
- White, Mary M.
- Wilson, Diarmuid.