Brendan Smith
Question:7. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach for a report on the National Risk Assessment 2023, and the top strategic risks facing Ireland. [37573/23]
View answerWednesday, 4 October 2023
Questions (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
Christopher O'Sullivan
Question:8. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach for a report on the National Risk Assessment 2023, and the top strategic risks facing Ireland. [37574/23]
View answer
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:9. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach for a report on the National Risk Assessment 2023 in his Department. [42348/23]
View answer
Paul Murphy
Question:10. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach for a report on the National Risk Assessment 2023 in his Department. [42351/23]
View answer
Mick Barry
Question:11. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach for a report on the National Risk Assessment 2023. [42618/23]
View answerOral answers (6 contributions)
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 11, inclusive, together.
The national risk assessment has been prepared since 2014 and provides an opportunity to identify and discuss significant risks which may arise for Ireland. The experience of the past number of years has brought home the importance of work in the area of risk management and preparedness. By promoting an open and inclusive discussion on the major risks facing the country, the national risk assessment plays an important role in this work.
The National Risk Assessment 2023 - Overview of Strategic Risks was published in August and sets out a list of 25 strategic national risks. This follows on from a draft national risk assessment published in December last year for public consultation, providing opportunities for stakeholders and Oireachtas Members to contribute to its development. Many of the risks identified for 2023 have been identified in previous iterations of the national risk assessment, but have evolved significantly in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the cost-of-living challenge. The national risk assessment is just one element of the overall system of preparedness and resilience planning for Ireland and is not intended to replicate or displace the detailed risk management and preparedness carried out by individual Departments and Government agencies.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. Some time ago I had a quick perusal of the report. I want to quickly refer to the Northern Ireland and terrorism sections. I have had the privilege of representing Cavan-Monaghan over a number of decades. During that time, thankfully, we have gone from a very troubled era to an era of peace, thanks to the Good Friday Agreement and the good work that brought about that agreement.
One thing which always struck me was the huge and committed work of our Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána and other emergency services during a time when our State was under attack. The configuration of An Garda Síochána in the region throughout that era, and since the foundation of the force, was the Cavan-Monaghan Garda division. There is a proposed reconfiguration of Garda services. Cavan-Monaghan is now being amalgamated with Louth as one Garda division which is, in my opinion as a layperson, crazy stuff.
During an era when An Garda Síochána and our State faced huge threats, the division carried out its work in a very committed and diligent way. The structures responded to ensure that our communities were protected in the configuration that existed. Our chief superintendent has been based in Monaghan, in the headquarters of the Cavan-Monaghan Garda division. That headquarters is now being transferred to Drogheda, County Louth. We know it is practically on the outskirts of Dublin. It is not far from this Chamber to Drogheda, but it is a long way from this Chamber to the west of Cavan, Blacklion or Dowra.
There is a long land border between Louth, Cavan and Monaghan. I do not know who came up with the proposal but the Minister and Department have always given the answer that it is a matter for Garda operational decision-makers. However, we have to consider what worked in the past and was successful during a very difficult era. We need local decision-making. A chief superintendent in Drogheda, on the outskirts of Dublin, will not be familiar with communities in the far end of west Cavan or the north of Monaghan.
Allied to that is the fact that we lost Dún Uí Neill barracks. We do not have an Army barracks in the central Border region. The local knowledge that An Garda Síochána and members of the Permanent Defence Force had, along with the knowledge of other emergency services, contributed in a big way to saving lives and protecting our community. I ask the Government to revisit the proposed reconfiguration of Garda operations.
I have to agree. This is not the first time I have raised this issue. The amalgamation of the Louth division with Cavan and Monaghan will not work at all. The Louth division will include parts of east Meath. One superintendent with responsibility for serious crime, who will be based in Bailieborough, will have to deal with the entire region. I understand the streamlining, but Donegal will not be included with Sligo and Leitrim, something that was due to happen. I understand Kerry will also be a stand-alone division. What is happening does not make sense.
We all know of the issues there have been in Louth, in particular the drug feud. We know the gardaí who have been lost - I mentioned Tony Golden and Adrian Donohoe earlier. Three gardaí in Dundalk were injured recently when their patrol car was rammed by a stolen car. Alongside dealing with rosters, this is a particular issue that needs to be addressed. There needs to be engagement with the Commissioner. I am not entirely sure how the review process has operated, but it has worked for certain areas and sense has prevailed. I am fine with streamlining, but what is proposed is too big, in particular given some of the issues in Louth.
If we are talking about crime, I want to mention the danger of organised crime and drugs from an economic and societal point of view. We hope that the citizens' assembly will go to good places as regards harm reduction, systems being health led and best practice, such as in Portugal. We will need to make sure that resources are applied in order to bring that about. Some of this would need to happen with engagement on an international basis, in particular on a European level. Ireland, even on a 32-county basis, is very small. Certain solutions would obviously work better if they operated on an international basis. I would be interested in hearing whether there has been engagement.
We want to know more about what happened with the joint task force involving the Garda, the Army Ranger wing, the Naval Service and all the rest. The more of those types of operations we can see, the better. We know policing alone will not deal with the issues facing us.
I again thank Deputies for their questions. Deputy Smith touched on the risk of terrorism, which remains a live risk and, I am afraid, not one we can be complacent about. Essentially, we have documented three categories of risk. The first is an attack from a loyalist or republican paramilitary organisation; the second is a domestic attack, perhaps from our own far right, far left or some other extremist group; and the third is terrorism with an international dimension, most likely some form of religious extremism. We have to be wise to the risks of that happening. We have seen it happen in countries like New Zealand, for example, and other small countries around the world where we do not expect major terrorist activities to happen, but they do. We need to be wise to the fact that that could happen here as well. There have been multiagency operations and training for that possibility should it ever occur. It is to be hoped it never does.
Deputies Smith and Ó Murchú drew my attention to plans to merge Cavan-Monaghan and Louth into a single Garda division. I understand this is part of a general plan to have larger divisions. As part of a modern policing service, it is something that, ultimately, is a matter for the Garda Commissioner, but I can certainly make sure that he and the Minister are made aware of the Deputies' views.
I asked about international engagement as regards dealing with drug issues.
There is international engagement. Deputy Ó Murchú will have seen from the operation that took place off the coast of Wexford only last week that the authorities are in touch with each other. I may have picked him up wrong, but I think the point the Deputy is making is that any change in our laws will impact elsewhere. That is evident in Portugal and the Netherlands. Germany is changing its laws. It is up to us to make our own laws. We need to have regard to the fact that will impact other countries and the movement of people in and out of the country.