Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. The main outcome I would like it to deliver is greater visibility of police on the ground. The most common complaint I receive from constituents, particularly the elderly, relates to the lack of a police presence and the small number of gardaí on patrol, which is unnerving. To be fair, however, people also point out that when the police come, they are helpful, considerate and co-operative. Nevertheless, people need reassurance that gardaí are available and will respond to calls. The outcome I most wish to see is greater visibility and availability of police to control and contain what is often low level crime, to use the term employed by the Lord Mayor of Dublin yesterday.

Arising from this concern, I welcome the proposal on volunteer gardaí. Although it is a positive step, it requires considerable elaboration and detail. My colleague, Deputy Costello, commented on the issue. It is not clear, for instance, whether the volunteers will be part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid. Deputies would welcome the involvement of more volunteers in many areas.

By their nature, volunteers do not, as a rule, expect to be paid. As I stated yesterday in the debate on the Finance Bill, perhaps there is scope for introducing a tax credit to encourage people to volunteer. While policing is clearly much wider than the issue of volunteers, this aspect of the Bill is to be welcomed as it will create more policing facilities in many areas.

One of the issues I wish to address is not covered in the Bill. It is an incident I had to deal with in my constituency which concerns the relationship between planning and crime. The Ceann Comhairle kindly allowed me to raise the matter, a controversial planning application for a super-pub in the Ballyfermot area, on the Adjournment recently.

I will elaborate on the significance of the application. When it was made there were already 11 alcohol outlets within 200 metres of the proposed site. The professional planning advice of Dublin City Council and the inspector of An Bord Pleanála was that permission should be refused for the development, largely on the grounds of crime and anti-social behaviour. Complaints had been made about such problems in the area and the residents were concerned about the risk of further anti-social behaviour evolving if another super-pub was opened in the area. The members of the board of An Bord Pleanála, as opposed to its professional staff, overturned the professional planning advice of both bodies and granted approval for the development. In their determination, the members made a policy statement indicating that crime and anti-social behaviour were not part of the planning code. This was in spite of the wide berth given to the planning code in section 34 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

The Oireachtas must give An Bord Pleanála clearer direction on assessing future applications, with a view to preventing crime and anti-social behaviour. I ask the Minster to consider this in the legislation. Given that anti-social behaviour and the risk of crime are key factors in any new planning development, to ignore them is to show scant regard for the concerns of residents.

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