19 Samh 2013, 16:36
The Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement Joe McHugh TD has this afternoon heard an upbeat assessment of the security situation in Northern Ireland, following a series of meetings in Belfast with PSNI representatives.
19 November 2013
The programme took in a meeting with the Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie, a briefing on security issues with the Crime Operation Unit and a district visit to North and West Belfast to view community policing efforts first hand. Deputy McHugh also met Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr, who has responsibility for district urban policing.
Deputy McHugh TD says: “Reforms in policing have been a key driver in securing peace in Northern Ireland, with the PSNI boasting among the most accountable structures of any police service in the world. I thank Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie and her colleagues for an enlightening afternoon in Belfast, in which the modern, transparent and community driven approach of the PSNI was evident. The establishment of the PSNI heralded a transformation in how Northern Ireland is policed, with current numbers reduced to 7,500 from 13,000, 30 percent of the force Catholic, and 27 percent female. The meetings this afternoon were also a valuable opportunity to acknowledge the excellent cooperation that exists between the PSNI and the Garda Síochána, particularly in tackling the on-going threat from dissident republicans.
“The district visit to interface areas in North and West Belfast highlighted the practical engagement between the PSNI and the communities they serve. In terms of day to day policing, Northern Ireland has relatively low crime rates. However, the police in some ways were acting as a ‘shock absorber’ in bearing the brunt of the frustrations being experienced in many communities. I find it totally unacceptable that, between July 2012 and August 2013, 682 officers have been injured in public order situations. I intend to relay some of the observations and concerns expressed this afternoon to the wider Oireachtas Committee for discussion and consideration, as we continue to do all we can to support and nurture the peace process on this island.”
Ends
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Members of the Committee:
Deputies: Seán Conlan, Seán Crowe, Clare Daly, Regina Doherty, Frank Feighan, Martin Ferris, Peter M Fitzpatrick, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Michael P Kitt, Joe McHugh (Chair), Joe O’Reilly (Vice-Chair), Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Brendan Smith, Joanna Tuffy and Jack Wall
Senators: Maurice Cummins (Leader of the House), Jim D’Arcy, Mary Moran and Mary White