Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Recent days have been a very dark period for An Garda Síochána and highlight the dangers the men and women of the force face every day in the service of their communities and country. The fact that a garda has laid down his life while selflessly protecting the community is a cause of great sadness. I know that all Deputies join me in extending sincere condolences to the family of Garda Anthony Golden, his friends and colleagues in Omeath Garda station and the entire Louth division and all members of An Garda Síochána. This is a very difficult time for all of the family and his colleagues and I know that the thoughts and prayers of the people of Ireland are with them. Of course, An Garda Síochána and all of us will see what lessons can be learned from last Sunday evening’s dreadful events in the light of the full Garda investigation into them. For now one thing is crystal clear: Garda Golden behaved in an exemplary manner in trying to protect the community and the nation mourns him.

Yesterday I announced details of the 2016 Estimates for the justice and equality sector, including the provision of an additional €89 million in current expenditure for the sector in budget 2016. In total, €2.264 billion in current expenditure and €130 million in capital expenditure will be provided in 2016 across the justice group of Votes. This budget allocation for the justice sector will help gardaí to tackle crime and support vital reforms and development in An Garda Síochána and across a range of agencies.

The total allocation for An Garda Síochána in 2016 will be €1.5 billion, which includes over €67 million in additional funding. More importantly, this funding will allow the recruitment of 600 new gardaí in 2016, in addition to the 550 recruited since September 2014. The ongoing recruitment of new gardaí is crucial for An Garda Síochána and also for the safety of communities throughout Ireland. The Government reopened the Garda College in Templemore in 2014. It was effectively closed by the previous Government in 2009. With this budget allocation we are delivering on our promise to ensure it will not close again. I said there would be ongoing continuous recruitment and the Government has provided the funding to allow that to happen.

I point out that the additional recruitment and budget allocation for surveillance and special operations builds on the current high level of investment in Garda vehicles, as well as recent announcements. It is worth recalling that since 2012 the Government has invested €29 million in new Garda vehicles; 370 new vehicles have come on stream since the start of this year; €46 million has been allocated in the Government’s capital framework 2016-21 for the provision of new Garda vehicles; and €700,000 was recently allocated for the purchase of specialist vehicles to support gardaí in tackling highly mobile gangs.

Criminal gangs change their methods. We must ensure we have a police force capable of responding to the new challenge, threats and methods these criminals gangs employ. Up to €1.75 million was recently allocated for the upgrade of the Garda air surveillance unit, another important tool, to interrupt the work of criminal gangs and deal effectively with them.

An additional €205 million has been allocated in the Government’s capital framework for the development of Garda technology and information and communications technology, ICT, systems. The Garda Inspectorate's report highlighted the need for this last year and we are now putting in place the type of ICT needed to respond effectively. I have announced extra funding for additional civilian experts to be recruited to develop and roll out this ICT investment programme.

I am working with the Garda Commissioner who will be announcing new initiatives to deal with crime and burglaries in urban and rural areas. Funding has been provided in the budget for these initiatives. Grants are being doubled for crime prevention measures to support Community Alert and Crimestoppers. These measures have been effective so far and will have their total allocation doubled to €397,000 in 2016.

Deputies will welcome the 21% increase in funding to be provided for the Victims of Crime Office, which will bring its total budget to almost €1.5 million in 2016. Funding for Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, will increase from €1.9 million to €2.4 million. It will aid Cosc in its efforts to combat domestic violence by reaching out to victims to ensure nobody suffers in silence. A new national strategy to deal with domestic, sexual and gender-based violence will be announced shortly.

The budget includes an additional allocation of €1.3million to recruit additional staff for Forensic Science Ireland to allow for necessary expansion following the forthcoming introduction of the DNA database.

I welcome the allocation of €109 million for the Courts Service, including an additional provision of over €1.75 million which will allow for additional staffing. This will support the delivery of an effective courts system and help in reducing court delays which are a current difficulty.

Legislation is going through the Dáil which will see the establishment of a new independent policing authority, the most radical change in policing since the foundation of the State. Funding of €2.7 million has been allocated for the establishment of the authority. I thank Ms Josephine Feehily for agreeing to be the independent chairperson of the new body. The process of selecting board members is well under way with the Public Appointments Service.

Over €9 million is being allocated in budget 2016 for the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOc, to enable it to deliver its important mandate. It is important we have an independent complaints mechanism. GSOC fulfils that role and it is important that it can do so effectively and efficiently.

The Charities Regulatory Authority will receive an additional allocation of over €1.2 million, bringing its total budget to €2.7 million. We are in the position to fund these services because we have a stable economy. If we did not, we would not be able to make the investment in all of these critical and essential areas. People know that it is important to have an effective functioning Charities Regulatory Authority. We saw recently, when we had several scandals with charities, how important it was to have that regulatory function. We now have it and can fund it because we have the stable economy that leads to investment in services.

Additional staffing for the Probation Service will allow for an increase in its use of supervised community sanctions for first-time and non-violent offenders. We need to do this to create the places in prison for serious and serial offenders who should be in prison.

The Legal Aid Board and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner will be supported. Up to €332 million will be available to the Irish Prison Service. The Department supports the work of the National Women's Council of Ireland which does critical work in the area of equality, reaching out to victims and ensuring the needs of more marginalised groups are addressed.

Funding needed for the Irish refugee protection programme will be provided. The Government has been supportive with the initiatives it has taken in this regard. We will have the Syrian and Eritrean refugees arriving before the end of the year and throughout next year. Funding has been provided for this purpose.

The budget delivers on my commitment to ensuring the Garda, as well as the entire justice system, is staffed, supported, resourced and well managed to deliver an effective service for the 21st century and to tackle the realities of crime in communities, both urban and rural. The budget is important because it points to the recovery that is under way. While the recovery is fragile, we must ensure it continues through this type of investment. We know that the best way to ensure it continues is to make work pay and support families. We have taken many workers out of the universal social charge and minimum wage net. We are extending free preschool services in order that all children will qualify from the age of three years. We are introducing a new €550 tax credit for the self-employed, cutting commercial road tax and increasing weekly pension rates by 3%. This is a good budget for Ireland, all workers, all families and the people. I commend it to the House.

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