Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Gabhaim buíochas den Cheann Comhairle as cead a thabhairt dom an cheist seo a ardú ar an Athló agus gabhaim buíochas den Aire Fiontar, Tradála agus Fostaíochta as bheith anseo, cé nach Aire Dlí agus Cirt, Comhionnanais agus Athchóirithe Dlí é go fóill. I regret, however, that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is not here because this highlights a chronic issue that arises in the policing of our country, particularly in Fingal in north County Dublin.

I attended the joint policing committee meeting on 22 September and was surprised to find that even though there are three Garda divisions in that area, the law determines that only two Garda divisions are allowed membership of the committee. That makes a mockery of any idea of inclusivity or community involvement. When such legislation is allowed it shows a lack of connection with reality.

The Louth-Meath division, which takes up a huge part of north County Dublin, from Blakes Cross to the Dublin-Meath border, is effectively disenfranchised even though it is allowed to attend as an observer at the joint policing committee. The CSO figures for the towns disenfranchised by this measure show they include Balbriggan, which has a full-time Garda station, as well it might because it is larger than Clonmel. Skerries is in the area but has no full-time station although it is larger than Tullamore. Rush is in the same area and it is as large as Kilkenny city according to the CSO figures, while Lusk is the same size as Athlone. If towns such as Athlone, Kilkenny and Tullamore did not have full-time Garda stations there would be considerable outrage, if not civil disobedience. It seems, however, that the Government accepts that Fingal can muddle along in that way.

If one talks to gardaí dealing with this situation daily, their frustration is clear. There is a dedicated scene of crime unit in Dublin, which attends burglaries and such offences, with examiners trained in taking fingerprints and lifting fibres. In the Louth-Meath division in north County Dublin there is no such unit, no drugs task force and no task force to deal with areas where extra gardaí are needed.

A fire brigade approach is taken to Garda resources in the area. In Balbriggan, which is the size of Clonmel, there are 32 gardaí, some of whom are off sick, hardly a surprise given the pressure they are under, and one is suspended. The reality is that there are far fewer than 32. There are ten gardaí in Skerries, an area that lost its community garda because it cannot afford such a luxury. Rush has a part-time station with one sergeant and five gardaí, Lusk has one sergeant and three gardaí and Garristown has one sergeant and two gardaí. These towns are the same size as Athlone, Kilkenny and Tullamore. This is a pathetic level of policing for towns in an area of this size that is growing so fast. Since the previous census, its population has increased by the equivalent of the population of Carlow.

I ask the Minister to ensure the Government and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform fully understand that the north County Dublin area needs additional gardaí and reorganisation. The area should be part of the Dublin metropolitan area, a view shared by many gardaí in Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park. Such a measure would reflect a similar change in the United Kingdom where the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 ensured police boundaries are aligned with the 25 London boroughs. Similar changes are under way in other European countries.

Gardaí currently have different copies of by-laws in different areas because county boundaries are not aligned. I ask that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform take seriously the timebomb developing in north County Dublin as a result of the failure of Garda resources to keep pace with an increasing population.

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