Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this wide-ranging Bill. The debate too has been wide-ranging. The Bill replaces all Acts in this area since 1924 which is a sweeping and courageous initiative that merits serious discussion. No matter who we are or where we live we depend on the Garda Síochána. We need a well-manned, well-equipped police force to make us secure in our homes, on the roads and in our daily lives. As our society develops, problems increase and there is more pressure on the Garda Síochána to deliver a better service and inspire confidence in the community.

The key objective of the Bill is to establish an independent Garda Síochána ombudsman commission to replace the existing complaints board. The current system for dealing with complaints against members of the force does not command full public confidence. The complaints board has pointed to the problems of the current arrangement. A new mechanism is needed to ensure openness, transparency and public confidence in the investigation of complaints against members of the Garda Síochána and the method of that investigation.

Many people have cited problems with the Garda in their areas but the number of complaints against the Garda Síochána in my clinics and constituency office is small. When I follow these up I find more often than not that the complaints do not stand up, and that is a good sign. Transparency, however, is the key to this Bill because it inspires the public with the confidence that it has a police force that supports it in its daily life.

I welcome the Minister's decision to dissolve the complaints board and opt for the ombudsman model which Fine Gael has advocated for some time. I welcome in particular the power given the ombudsman in section 94(4) to initiate an investigation. That is welcome but the scope of such an investigation should be widened considerably so that the ombudsman can examine more general policing practices.

We have one national police force, while many countries have several giving rise to a need for very different structures. Britain, for example, has over 40 regional police constabularies and several national law enforcement agencies including its intelligence services. In addition to being a police force the Garda Síochána functions as an intelligence service, which is important in dealing with the drug culture that has developed throughout the country and determining its source.

The Bill also provides for a joint policing committee involving Garda and local authority representation. This year there is a focus on local authority membership, functions and local democracy. For the first time committees will provide fora where the gardaí and local authorities can co-operate to address local policing and other issues under the management of the local authority. It is important that the Garda representatives put a strong case for their interests to be taken into account.

The strategic policy committees feed into local authorities and members of local authorities are active on the ground, thanks to the abolition of the dual mandate. This increased focus on the community can add knowledge to meetings of strategic policy committees, county development boards or county councils. There is scope for expansion in this area with the knowledge these local representatives can share with the Garda Síochána. The feeding of information between the Garda and the local authority is a welcome development.

Some years ago, soon after I became a Member of the Seanad, some concerned business people spoke to me about the crime level in Tipperary town. It seemed from their account of the problem that there was very little policing in the area. There was only one way to address that. I set up a meeting with the local superintendent. Since then we continue to meet on a regular basis to keep each other informed. That was one of the best things I did because bringing together concerned people and the authorities in the town made an impact. The results have all been positive. Both sides understood how much work was being done by the Garda Síochána as an organisation and the gardaí on the street.

As I go about my daily business I am struck by the lack of police on the ground. There is a need to get more police officers on the beat. The presence of gardaí walking the street, keeping an eye on and being involved in communities gives people a sense of security.

The Garda Síochána is undergoing serious change to which it devotes time and effort. Gardaí spend a great deal of time at their desks writing reports. We need more gardaí on the street where their role should be more focused.

The condition of some rural stations throughout the country is not satisfactory. The Minister should examine the closure of Garda stations in some of the smaller towns and villages throughout the country in light of the development which is taking place in these areas. People are crying out for these stations to be re-opened. Whatever about the way Garda resources are divided in different Garda divisions, the local man on the beat and local stations have stood the test of time. This brought gardaí into contact with the local community and resulted in mutual respect. I do not think the public has the same respect for the gardaí they had when I was attending school. The proposal to have gardaí in local stations must be discussed. It will be stated that stations are not being closed. However, the truth is that most of the Garda stations in my constituency are either closed or there is no one in them, which is a poor reflection on the Government. This issue needs to be addressed so that people can become more integrated with the Garda force.

There are enormous problems with crime in society. Crime figures have increased. The Minister may say the problem is in hand and crime figures are decreasing. This is not what I witness in my constituency. There is also the problem of anti-social behaviour among young people, and there are not sufficient gardaí to deal with these problems. Now is not the time to be overly political but the truth is that 2,000 gardaí were promised during the last general election campaign. People expected more gardaí to be put on the streets, which has not happened. The Minister should deal with this issue in the forthcoming budget, and not wait until the next general election campaign. It should be dealt with over a certain timescale. Given the increase in the population, immigrant figures and problems in society, a genuine effort should be made to put more gardaí on the streets.

If the requests I have made are dealt with, there will be more confidence in the force. I welcome this broad-ranging Bill. We all depend on the gardaí. The security of the State depends on the gardaí. My party established the Garda Síochána, of which we are proud. However, there needs to be improvements and adjustments to the force. I commend the Minister for bringing forward the Bill. I ask him to take on board the points I made on behalf of the public. I spent much of my time in County Meath during the recent by-election campaign and I witnessed at first hand the concerns of people living in communities at the lack of Garda activity throughout the county. There is a need for more gardaí in communities.

I am pleased to have had an opportunity to contribute to this debate. I ask the Minister to take on board the points I made.

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