Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 21 March 2024

Public Accounts Committee

Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána

9:30 am

Mr. Drew Harris:

What I was referring to were crimes against those who are particularly vulnerable in our society. I was speaking in the context of domestic abuse, the abuse of children, particularly online, and cybercrime. We have invested in our protective services at national level and at divisional level. We have also invested in combating cybercrime. This has been very important given the rise of child abuse material which is online. It is an ongoing scourge and a very hidden crime. These were a couple of the things I had in mind. I was also reflecting that there is a difference in the experience of crime depending on where people might live in a town or city. The weight of crime, particularly that relating to drug dealing, will fall in areas that might be described as being deprived or disadvantaged. This is an extra layer or lever of disadvantage that is applied to these communities through violence, fear or drugs intimidation.

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