Paul McAuliffe
Question:49. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Justice his plans to establish a dedicated public transport section of An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18115/23]
View answerTuesday, 18 April 2023
Questions (49)
Written answers
The safety and security of both public transport passengers and staff, including arrangements to deal with anti-social behaviour, are important matters that must be managed by every public transport company, in conjunction with An Garda Síochána where appropriate.
We can all agree that any acts of violence and anti-social behaviour are completely unacceptable. I want to make it very clear that criminality on public transport will not be tolerated.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including all operational policing decisions. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions and am unable to direct the Commissioner in regards to the deployment of Garda resources.
The Commissioner is on record as stating that he does not propose to establish a dedicated transport policing unit, as he is of the view that the policing needs of public transport can be met through community policing, and I wish to reiterate that view today. The Commissioner is best placed to determine the most appropriate response to concerns in relation to personal safety on public transport and to decide how to allocate the resources at his disposal to best effect.
I am advised that a range of regional and local operations have been put in place by Gardaí to prevent and detect criminal activity on public transport. For example, Operation Saul is implemented across the Dublin Region with the aim of keeping people safe on public transport services. The operation is undertaken as a proactive response and is informed by analysis of crime and anti-social behaviour trends, supported by Garda analysts.
I am informed that there is ongoing communication between An Garda Síochána and the respective control centres, and access to good quality CCTV can provide assistance to Gardaí when investigating serious incidents.
I am further informed that Garda dispatch staff have relocated to a floor of the National Train Control Centre building in Heuston Station since mid-November 2022, which will help to further strengthen the links between Gardaí and public transport operators.