Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Commissioner and the other witnesses. They are all very welcome. I thank the Commissioner for his opening statement. He referred to the sale and supply of illegal substances. He also referred to the almost 7,500 applicants to fill operational specialist support roles.

I want to ask the Commissioner specifically about specialised drugs units. I refer to the joint policing committee meetings that are held in Cavan-Monaghan and that I attend. I know the Commissioner attends such meetings. He has been on the ground and has heard from other elected representatives. Our chief there, Alan McGovern, is doing his level best to address this, but my understanding is that we do not have a drugs unit. The witnesses may contradict that or come back with other information, but I have a real concern about it. I believe we had personnel in that unit. We may have had five, it was reduced to four and at the moment it may be part of the retention and recruitment difficulties. I am not sure. I believe it is a specialised unit that is incredibly important. The constituency of Cavan-Monaghan is rural and very much in the Border area, which always presents its own difficulties and challenges around policing. It is also very attractive for that antisocial behaviour and criminality. I have a huge concern for the young people. We know it is in every GAA club and it is on the ground. What we hear relentlessly at the joint policing committee meetings is that it is happening in broad daylight, in full view of each community. I have absolute confidence that people are reporting it to our Garda stations because I know they are reporting it to my office. We are inundated with concerned parents ringing to say they can see it happening and to ask what we are doing about it and what is happening about it.

I go back to my initial point. What is the Commissioner's vision for specialised units? Does he believe they are necessary? Does he believe they are effective? Does he believe that rural constituencies such as mine can and should have one and that they are effective? Our chief replies, when asked the question by elected representatives, that it is every garda's job to address this issue. I understand that, but I still believe in my heart and soul that a specialised unit does it at another level that is incredibly important in trying to kill this epidemic we have with the sale of drugs. As I said, it is crippling our youth all over the place. Could the witnesses respond to that?

I have two other questions I would like to get out there that the witnesses could respond to all together, if that is okay. Second, again, when the Commissioner was in Cavan-Monaghan he visited what will be a new state-of-the-art Garda station for Bailieborough. I know it is a huge investment from the Garda and the OPW. It was my understanding that we would have a specialised unit there around cybercrime. Could the Commissioner confirm that this is still the case?

As regards my third question, at the weekend we read in the Mail on Sundaya piece about gun holsters for gardaí and concerns being raised about the safety of those for An Garda Síochána, given the fatality involving Detective Colm Horkan. Could the witnesses comment on that?

They are my three questions and I would appreciate the witnesses' response.