Dr. Johnny Connolly:

I will return to Deputy Ó Laoghaire's point as I have given much consideration to the numbers and units and to the dedicated unit. I appreciate that he said that he would keep an open mind on that. We require clear information as to the demand for local services and that a clear workforce planning programme be put in place, neither of which exists. Using that data, we could discuss a percentage that would look to the community and engage with it in a problem-oriented way. It is crucial that we have a vision for policing with the community. It cannot be something that is just put aside and not prioritised.

The commission's report had a great focus on training. While I appreciate that there are some people who are very good at community policing, speaking to kids and so on, it is something for which people can be trained. If someone is entering into this public service, they should know from the start that they are going into a community-based service where they must be able to engage with young people, people with mental health or addiction issues and so on. That people are trained and prepared to engage at that level is central to the idea of community policing. That is how one articulates a vision on the ground through a professional organisation, where people are properly trained and treat people with dignity no matter what section of society they come from.

I was glad to hear Deputy Clare Daly speak of the vision of community policing that we articulated. The problem is that it has fallen through the cracks, which is why one can have a good community garda being pulled away. It is great that we have articulated a vision of what it would look like in the future.

The issue of mediation is very important, just like restorative practice. I bring members' attention to a forthcoming report by the Council of Europe on international experiences of restorative practice that should be worth examining. We must look at alternative ways of dealing with frequent problems in terms of dealing with prevention.

The multi-agency point is central to much of what we have discussed in the commission's report. We proposed setting up crisis intervention teams, which were first proposed in 2009, so that it is not just gardaí who are available to deal with vulnerable people at 5 o'clock on a Friday. We have also recommended that the Cabinet subcommittee on criminal justice should organise an annual event bringing together the various Departments which broadly have a role in the area of community safety to show that it is a multi-agency function.

If I had to recommend one thing, it would be to implement the report of the commission.