Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2024
490. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Justice if she is aware of the growing problem of crime and anti-social behaviour in Limerick city centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18962/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can assure the Deputy that the Government is determined to tackle anti-social behaviour and its causes. A number of priority actions are contained in the Programme for Government to reduce instances of such behaviour and help people to be safe and feel safe in their local communities.
The Deputy may be interested to know that a number of other measures are already being taken to tackle anti-social behaviour and wider crime.
They include:
• The deployment of a Proof of Concept for body-worn cameras for Gardaí in Dublin City Centre, Waterford, and Limerick in 2024. This will help to inform the nationwide rollout of these vital pieces of equipment to all Garda members.
• Introducing Facial Recognition Technology in a number of limited and defined circumstances as a tool to search evidence in the most serious of cases, with legislation published before the summer recess.
• Stronger Garda Powers resulting in the nationwide seizure of 44 quad bikes and 133 scramblers by An Garda Síochána from 1 January 2023 to 5 February 2024.
• Providing the funding necessary to strengthen the equipment available to An Garda Síochána for public order policing, including the deployment of tasers and stronger incapacitant spray.
• The introduction of Community Safety Partnerships around the country, to develop Community Safety Plans for every area.
• Continued expansion of youth justice and youth diversion members, including interventions for typically hard-to-reach young people and early interventions for 8-11 year olds who may be at risk of becoming engaged in criminal activity.
• Working to commence the Criminal Justice (Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity) Act 2024 to criminalise the grooming of children into a life of crime.
• Proposing solutions to public order and anti-social “wicked problems” through the Local Leadership Programme which brings together local stakeholders in a structured manner
As you may know, the establishment of the Anti-Social Behaviour Forum, which is chaired by Minister of State James Browne was a key programme for government commitment. The ASB Forum is developing measures which will address the factors which give rise to such behaviour and its impact on community morale and quality of life. The forum has established four sub-groups to consider the specific issues of the misuse of scramblers and quadbikes, knife crime, responses to ASB impacts on housing complexes managed by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and to review the powers available to An Garda Síochána in relation to public order offences.
The Deputy will, however, appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for operational policing matters and that as Minister I cannot, rightly, direct the Commissioner in these independent functions. I am assured however by the Garda authorities that a range of high-visibility and covert operations are carried out on an ongoing basis to support public safety in Limerick.
I am informed that Operation Croi has been in place in Limerick city centre for the past 15 months, targeting anti-social behaviour and associated offences, including drug-related and traffic-related offences. This Garda Operation assists in targeting recidivist crime and the sale and supply of drugs in Limerick City centre.
I am also advised that Operation Disruption was launched in January of this year and ran until 14 April to address concerning trends around vehicular crime in the area. Operation Disruption involved Garda members deployed fulltime in plain clothes and operating late tours gathering intelligence and targeting known suspects for the crime type identified. The operation allowed for an increase in proactive patrols and had a number of successful detections and seizures of stolen cars. The operation also actively supervised, examined and monitored bail conditions for those charged before the courts.
Operation Feabhsaigh was initiated in September 2023. Its two key priorities were enforcement and crime prevention at King's Islands Historic Quarter, which includes city centre locations, and the sale and supply of drugs, open drug use, chronic anti-social behaviour, aggressive begging and crime in St. Marys Park. It relaunched in April 2024 and involves overtime deployment through a regional budget.
Liaison Sergeants from Limerick City North Community Engagement and Limerick City South Community Engagement functional areas are also engaging with local businesses across Limerick City to help identify crime trends and prolific suspects. I am informed that monthly overtime deployment of pedal cycle patrols in the city centre parks and greenways of the Limerick City North Community Engagement Functional Area is ongoing and is coordinated by the newly appointed Community Policing Sergeants in the city.
My Department has also funded initiatives such as the Moyross Development CLG Community Safety Weapons Awareness Programme in Limerick. This programme seeks to address weapon-related violence by educating and raising awareness among youth, parents and professionals creating a co-designed, co-produced, replicable toolkit adaptable to any youth setting. The Programme received €150,000 from my Department's Community Safety Innovation Fund in 2023.
