Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2018
324. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will seek assurances from the Garda Commissioner that additional attention will be provided to an area (details supplied) in the run up to Halloween and including Halloween day and night; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43550/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the allocation of all Garda resources, including personnel, is solely a matter for the Garda Commissioner and his management team and I have no direct role in this regard. However, I can assure the Deputy that An Garda Síochána continue to regard all forms of anti-social behaviour very seriously.
Working with communities to tackle public disorder and reduce anti-social behaviour is a key priority for An Garda Síochána. This approach includes a strong focus on quality of life issues and collaboration with local authorities to help address the causes of anti-social behaviour. I might add that there is a range of strong legislative provisions available to An Garda Síochána to combat anti-social behaviour, including provisions under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Acts, the Criminal Damage Act and the Intoxicating Liquor Acts. There are also the incremental provisions contained in the Criminal Justice Act 2006 which provide, in Part 11, for warnings and civil proceedings in relation to anti-social behaviour by adults and, in Part 13 of the Act, for warnings, good behaviour contracts and civil proceedings in relation to anti-social behaviour by children.
Clearly, Garda visibility in our communities is very important and this Government remains committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and to deter crime. An Garda Síochána is currently undertaking a programme of accelerated recruitment, as part of the Government’s commitment to a strengthened service through the Five Year High Level Reform and Workforce Plan, which will see an overall workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021.
While An Garda Síochána will continue to tackle these problems head-on, they cannot eradicate the problem of anti-social behaviour alone. Specifically in relation to young offenders, it is also up to us as adults, particularly the parents and guardians of our young, to ensure that children are raised to be respectful and law-abiding. These lessons begin in the home, are further reinforced in our schools and then by wider society in general. We must all work together to ensure that such behaviour is never normalised and is tackled immediately.
