Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 February 2022
179. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport the number of antisocial incidents recorded on the DART network since January 2020; the action his Department is taking to reduce this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9098/22]
View answerThe safety and security of both public transport passengers and staff, including arrangements to deal with anti-social behaviour, are important matters that, first and foremost, must be managed by every public transport company, in conjunction with An Garda Síochána, where appropriate. The National Transport Authority (NTA) is also engaged with public transport operators regarding the issue of anti-social behaviour.
The Department has been engaging regularly with the NTA and the three CIÉ companies, including Iarnród Éireann on the issue of anti-social behaviour and a number of actions have been taken. These include:
- Iarnród Éireann have significantly increased their security resources with up to 20 security teams operating daily on-board and in stations (spend on security has increased from €3.7 million to €5.2 million pa since 2016).
- Since May 2021, Iarnród Éireann and an Garda Síochána have joined forces to tackle anti-social behaviour in the Greater Dublin Area and on the DART, Northern Line and Heuston to Portlaoise services.
- Iarnród Éireann liaises on a minimum quarterly basis with An Garda Síochána in major districts to address trends and issues on an area basis.
- An Irish Rail/AGS inter-agency operation was established targeting incidents of graffiti and criminal damage to train carriages; as part of this operation Gardaí conducted patrols of rail lines in an effort to target groups involved in this activity.
- CCTV is available on most trains and has successfully been used on numerous occasions in securing prosecutions. They are also in place in stations.
- A DART text alert line has been established for discrete reporting of Anti-Social incidents.
The question raised concerning the number of antisocial incidents recorded on the DART network since January 2020 is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann and I have therefore forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply on this matter.
Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
