James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. It is certainly acknowledged that we need more members of the Garda. That is why a significant recruitment campaign is ongoing. There has been a significant increase in the number of prospective gardaí going through training in the Garda College in Templemore. There will be further funding for more gardaí next year so we can increase their visibility and have more gardaí is each of the communities across the country, including Dublin city, so there will be less of a need for overtime. Those gardaí will be part of the rank and file and will be available.

There has also been an increase in the civilianisation of the Garda. Close to 900 members of the Garda have been released from administrative duties and assigned to front-line duties as we have hired more staff to carry out those administrative duties and, as I say, free up gardaí.

There is a clear and willing acknowledgement that we need more gardaí. They are being recruited and trained. They are being released to Garda stations across the country. However, it will take more time to get gardaí out there. The intention is that once we have those gardaí in stations, there will be less reliance on overtime.

The Deputy rightly points out there has been increased funding for the youth justice programme. In September, we launched our plan for restorative justice. That is an important piece for prevention. Rather than taking a simplistic approach to people in the community who have been committing crimes, the restorative piece works to centre the victims and to help the offenders see the consequences of their offending and allow them to address it. The restorative piece also involves working with the communities. There are three points to that triangle and they are important. We are trying to address the victims, the communities and the offenders.

This week, we are starting our first workshops for 18- to 24-year-olds to see what elements of youth diversion projects can be extended to people in that age bracket and how it would work in practice. We know there is an exceptionally high rate of reoffending among that age category. An element of that relates to the fact that people age out from the youth diversion projects and youth supports. We want to see what elements are available for people who want to address their offending. We want to provide alternative supports for them.

To provide high-visibility policing, more gardaí are required and we recognise that. We are in the recruitment and training phase and there should be less of a reliance on overtime once those gardaí are in situ.