Alan Shatter
Ceist:5 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice the initiatives, if any, she proposes to take to reduce the level of crime in Dublin city centre and make if safe for shoppers, pedestrians and drivers.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Crime Levels.
Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:17 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Justice the measures, if any, she is planning to take to deal with the problem of crime in Dublin in view of the fact that in 1991 Dublin, with about one third of the country's population had 55.5 per cent of all reported crime, and the damage being caused to social and economic life in the city and county; if it is intended to increase the number of gardaí in Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:20 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the plans, if any, she has to deal with the alarming increase in the crime rate with particular reference to street crime; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Richard Bruton
Ceist:39 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice the increase in Garda numbers in the Dublin metropolitan area in the past 12 months; and the plans, if any, she has to increase these numbers in the near future in view of the disturbing patterns of crime in the city.
Gay Mitchell
Ceist:47 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice if she will make a statement on cirime levels in Dublin and the plans, if any, she has to deal with this matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 17, 20, 39 and 47 together.
The strength of the Garda Síochána in the Dublin metropolitan area was increased by 64 during the period from January to December last year bringing the strength of the force in the DMA to 3,988. The total strength of the force in the country now stands at 10,984. While I take the point about the ratio of crime to population in the Dublin area I have to say that the population of a particular area is but one of a number of considerations which the Garda authorities take into account when deploying members of the force. Other factors would include the area of policing to be covered, the particular type of crime that is prevalent, and so on. The weighting that should be given to the various factors that arise is, I understand, a matter to which the Garda authorities are paying particular attention at present. While I do not believe it is an adequate or even a proper approach to crime merely to throw additional gardaí at the problem — apart from the resource implications, the problem is far too complex for that type of simple quick-fix solution — I do believe that an increased visible Garda presence on our streets would act as a deterrent to would-be criminals and give a welcome reassurance to the public. In this regard I am conferring with the Garda Commissioner about a number of measures which could be taken to increase the number of existing gardaí available for outdoor operational duty.
The measures being contemplated include accelerating the rate of intake of recruits from the current recruitment campaign and, in particular, increasing further the number of civilian staff employed in the Garda Síochána, which is low by international comparisons. The number of civilian clerical staff in the Garda Síochána has almost doubled since 1989 and now stands in excess of 700. This civilianisation process has released gardaí from administrative duties to perform the police tasks for which they were recruited and trained. The Garda authorities are carrying out a review at present to identify further areas in the force which may be suitable for civilianisation.
I am, of course, concerned at the level of crime in the Dublin metropolitan area and in particular at the recent disturbing manifestations of the problem in the city centre which included three very serious incidents, two of which resulted in tragic deaths and the third in innocent passers-by sustaining serious injuries in the course of an armed robbery. I take this opportunity to express my sincere sympathy to the families and relatives of those involved and to assure them that the full rigours of the law will be applied to the perpetrators of these acts.
With regard to the incidence of crime in Dublin city centre, it must be remembered that up to 750,000 people pass through the O'Connell Street-Grafton Street artery every day and with those numbers incidents are inevitably bound to occur even if one were to saturate the streets night and day with gardaí. The plain truth of the matter is that the specific incidents I have just referred to, did not arise from an inadequate Garda presence — in fact patrolling gardaí were on the scene immediately and were in a position to make arrests.
Since taking up office last month, I have conferred with the Garda Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner with specific responsibility for the Dublin metropolitan area regarding both the situation on O'Connell Street as well as the crime situation generally in the Dublin metropolitan area. It was agreed that law enforcement in the Dublin metropolitan area would include the following measures and strategies:
The Garda authorities will intensify their use of closely co-ordinated foot and mobile patrols and checkpoints, deployment of plainclothes surveillance units will be increased and there will be greater targeting of Garda resources to meet specific anti-crime needs in particular areas.
The ratio of police to population in the Dublin metropolitan area will be maintained at 1 to 260 which compares favourably with the national average of 1 to 320.
Continued emphasis will be placed on ensuring that there is adequate manpower deployment in the five Garda stations in the proximity of O'Connell Street, including the O'Connell Street station. In this respect 50 of the 64 gardaí, who were attested as full members of the force before Christmas, were assigned to Dublin stations and have since taken up duty there. In addition, in the period 2 November 1992 to 22 January 1993 23 civilians took up posts in the Dublin area releasing gardaí in those posts for operational duties attached to the stations in question. Of the gardaí newly assigned or redeployed to operational duties as a consequence of the above, 51 were employed in city centre stations north and south of the Liffey, with particular emphasis on those stations which police O'Connell Street and its environs. A further 40 members who were attested to the force last week were assigned to Dublin stations on 12 February 1993.
The O'Connell Street area is being patrolled on a 24-hour basis by both uniformed and plain clothes gardaí and particular attention is being paid to the area during the late night and early morning period.
Many of the problems in the Dublin city centre area are created by large numbers of young people congregating particularly at weekends, and often inebriated. I do not wish O'Connell Street to be turned into a no-go area for young people — to make the whole area dead at night like certain other European cities — but it will be necessary to look closely at the complex issues which give rise to the crime problem in the city centre, the resolution of which will require a response not just from the law enforcement agencies but from city centre interests as a whole.
For my part, I have assured the Commissioner that whatever resources he requires to combat crime in Dublin city centre and in the Dublin metropolitan area will be made available. I also intend to ensure that Garda powers in relation to public order will be strengthened. Work on legislation to enhance Garda powers to deal with street offences is already at an advanced stage of preparation in my Department. This legislation will provide for the creation of offences relating to: (a) persons being found drunk or under the influence of drugs in such circumstances that they are a danger to themselves or others; (b) the use of threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in a public place and (c) disorderly conduct in circumstances such as to cause annoyance to other persons in the neighbourhood.
These new offences will carry the power of arrest and liability to substantial fines and-or imprisonment. It is also intended that if those causing disturbance are in possession of intoxicating liquor, the gardaí will have the power to confiscate it on the spot.
The new legislation will augment other existing Garda powers to deal with street offences, including the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990, which enables the gardaí to take steps to deal with the carrying of knives and other dangerous weapons and the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1988, which gives gardaí powers to deal with underage drinking.
I am also examining the proposals in the interdepartmental group on urban crime which will assist in the formation of a broadly based response to the problem of crime in modern urban societies. I will shortly be putting the report to Government for approval to implement its recommendations. While the group made specific recommendations in relation to the Ronanstown area, many of these may be adapted and applied to other urban areas. However, I believe that there is a need to distinguish between crime problems in the suburbs where people live — which require a broad societal response — and the problems of city centre thuggery and intimidation which require instrumental response not only from the gardaí but also the relevant interests and institutions concerned.
I am also pleased to say that there are indications that the policies adopted to deal with the problem of crime in Dublin are proving effective in that the latest provisional indications for recorded crime in the Dublin metropolitan area show a decrease of the order of 2 per cent in comparison with the corresponding period last year. While I acknowledge that the decrease is small it is nonetheless welcome.
The policing arrangements for the Dublin metropolitan area are being kept under constant review by the Garda authorities and I can assure the House that I will do all that I can to ensure the safety and security of all those who live, work or visit our capital city.
May I ask how much time is left for Priority Questions?
We should utilise the remaining time as best we can.
I have lost track of what time remains.
The Chair repeatedly calls for brevity at this time and I can do no more.
Is the Minister aware that all the golden promises of action she made today in regard to tackling the problem of crime in Dublin were made publicly on the "Late Late Show" by her former colleague, Pádraig Flynn, when Minister for Justice? This week is the anniversary of that programme and none of the promises he made was implemented. Is the Minister aware that people feel they cannot walk the streets of Dublin safely not only at night but in the day time, particularly O'Connell Street?
That is not true.
Is the Minister aware that since those promises were made two people lost their lives in O'Connell Street, countless numbers of people were intimidated and O'Connell Street has become a ghost street late at night? Will the Minister clarify whether the 50 gardaí she announced would be assigned to O'Connell Street within a week or so of her appointment are the same 50 gardaí that the former Minister for Justice announced would be assigned in November? Will she clarify whether we now have 100 new gardaí or merely 50 and where the ghost 50 that she announced have disappeared to?
Let us try to expedite matters.
I gave a comprehensive reply but I realise that Deputy Shatter did not listen. I answered all those supplementary questions in my reply. I did not announce an extra 50 gardaí when I was in Ronanstown. If the Deputy read the reports correctly he would realise that I indicated at that meeting before Christmas that 50 gardaí had been allocated to the city centre stations. I said in my reply today that 40 extra gardaí had been appointed on 12 February to city centre stations, north and south of the Liffey. I do not accept that O'Connell Street is unsafe for citizens to walk in. There is a strong Garda presence both in uniform and plain clothes in O'Connell Street. I have faith in the measures that have been taken by the Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Dublin metropolitan area and the Garda Commissioner, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, to give that strong Garda presence in O'Connell Street and people will realise they are safe to walk in the centre of the capital city.