Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 14 February 2023
Select Committee on Justice and Equality
Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Regarding the old building, which gardaí will be leaving behind to what it is hoped will be a happy distant memory for them, we have ideas for the use of that building within the community. The Minister might chat with me, aside from the meeting, about how we engage with the Department or the OPW on the repurposing of that building.
I could not let the opportunity go when the Minister spoke about retention and recruitment. Will he speak further to that? At justice and policing committee, JPC, meetings over the past 12 to 18 months, the topic of the drugs unit for Cavan-Monaghan has been raised time and again. I know it is an operational matter, but I make the point that, over Christmas and the new year, I attended the funerals of three very young people, at all of which the priests were very vocal and robust that this is a drugs-related issue. It is a frightening thing to see a chapel full of young people and families speaking very openly about it. I am afraid our towns are being overrun by drug barons and drug pushers. I feel our chief superintendent is fighting this war with one hand tied behind his back in terms of having the resources to do this. Will the Minister please speak to the Commissioner to see what other resources there are? We absolutely need to ramp up the drugs unit across Cavan-Monaghan.