Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

As the Minister for Finance has underlined, there has been substantial investment in public services over the past ten years. This has made possible the very real improvements which have occurred in communities throughout the country. In facing up to the changed fiscal circumstances, we should not lose sight of the strong base from which we are operating. The range and depth of our public services would be the envy of many societies and contrasts dramatically with where we stood ten years ago. In the justice and equality sector, we have been able to increase resources by 8 to 10% per annum over the past four to five years. By any yardstick, this has been an unprecedented increase in the resources devoted to combating crime and addressing inequality.

The changed financial circumstances are such that this level of increase is simply no longer possible across the board. Against that backdrop, we need to renew our focus on driving value for money throughout the system, to pare back unnecessary administration or duplication and to focus on areas of greatest priority. That is what I have tried to do. Our greatest priority is the fight against crime. We need to secure the effective capacity of the organisations at the heart of that effort. That is why I have put the money where it should be. That is the choice I made, and I make no apology for it. I firmly believe that the communities we serve would expect nothing less. To govern is to make choices, to identity priorities and to implement those rational choices. In short, the funding is following the priorities.

The resources provided for the Garda Síochána in 2009 will make possible an increase in the attested strength of the force to almost 14,900, which is a full increase of 2,500 since the end of 2004. It is an increase of about 700 on this year. Notwithstanding the necessary restriction in public sector numbers generally, it is our intention to take on 400 new garda recruits during 2009, in addition to the almost 1,100 already in training. An easy option would have been to freeze recruitment, as Fine Gael did when last in Government with the Labour Party, and to compensate by increasing overtime expenditure. I rejected that option. Instead, the Government has taken a strategic view that a more desirable and sustainable approach is to build up the basic capacity and strength of the force. I am convinced that this is the right option and will be seen as such by communities who rightly demand an increase in visible policing in their neighbourhood areas.

While we have reduced the Garda Síochána overtime budget, a substantial allocation of €80 million — or 4.6 million overtime hours — is being retained. Crucially, €21 million is being ring-fenced for Operation Anvil. This will make it possible to continue with a wide range of intensive policing activity, with a particular emphasis on tackling organised gangland crime. There is no question of the Government going soft on the godfathers of crime and this level of ring-fenced funding is a clear indication of our steely resolve.

There are a number of Garda ICT projects to be rolled out, including the national digital radio service and a new major case investigations system. We are also providing €10 million to begin outsourcing the safety and speed cameras in line with the road safety strategy, and 600 of these cameras will be rolled out by the middle of next year. The budget for the Criminal Assets Bureau is up 20% and an overall allocation of €18 million is being made for State forensic and pathology services. The best possible technical and forensic insight to detect and prosecute crime is essential. This funding package supports the new legislation that I will be bringing forward in the not too distant future.

As I am sharing time, I will leave it at that. Now that Deputy Flanagan is here, I must ask how he can ask for a 3% cut in spending on top of freezing Exchequer funding at 2008 levels and then ask for more resources for the Garda out of the other side of his mouth? That is what he is at.

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