Ms Deirdre Malone:

There was a question about the relevance of Garda resources and time. These are relevant in two respects. First, the presence of gardaí in the local community has been shown to have a preventative effect on crime. People feel safer and there is more of a sense the gardaí are present, aware and know what is going on in a given community. Community policing has always been a crucial part of any criminal justice system. The idea of the officer on the beat who everyone knows is important in an everyday sense.

It is also important in respect of monitoring bail conditions. My colleague will correct me if I am wrong, but, as I understand it, if a garda requests certain conditions, such as, for example, signing on in a police station, then that garda or her station is then tasked with monitoring the fact that a given person continues to sign on. That was the point I was making in respect of gardaí.

There was a comment about an extra prison. Thornton Hall was debated at length over number of months. Many research reports were produced and considerable debate on the question took place. The conclusion was that penal expansion does not assist communities in reducing crime. If that were the case, then crime rates in the United States, where there is mass incarceration, would be exemplary. We know that is not the case. In fact, it is far from it.