Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an reachtaíocht seo agus déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Teachta Brendan Griffin as ucht a chuid oibre ag ullmhú an Bhille seo. Is post an-dainséarach é a bheith i do gharda agus cuideoidh an reachtaíocht seo le cúrsaí sábháilteachta sa Gharda Síochána.

I welcome Deputy Griffin's initiative in producing and publishing the Bill. It is timely because the Government has invested a great deal in the Garda Síochána in recent years in difficult circumstances. It has reopened Templemore and budgeted for an extra 600 gardaí to be recruited in 2016 in addition to the 500 recruited in 2014. It is great to see the Minister's initiative in reopening Templemore and putting gardaí back on the beat. There have been increases in the Garda fleet. There has been €34 million spent on new Garda vehicles since 2012 and an additional €5.3 million will be spent on 260 new Garda cars to assist the gardaí in its pursuit of mobile gangs. That is in addition to the 370 cars that have been added so far this year. There is a commitment on the part of the Government in respect of resources for the Garda, its fleet of vehicles, officer numbers and other initiatives on the establishment of the policing authorities, the planned bail laws and the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill that was introduced recently.

Marked Garda cars are very visible so there can be no excuse that they cannot be seen or known. They are marked to be seen, to act as a deterrent and to denote to everyone that they are different from ordinary cars. That is the important point - no one can say they did not realise it was a Garda car. They are marked differently. Those that are marked are marked differently for that reason. The Deputy has highlighted that and the Bill provides for unmarked cars to be treated differently because unmarked cars and the gardaí who use them are more covert in their operations.

There are other marked vehicles that come under attack, for example. On bonfire night, in particular, there seems to be an increasing number of attacks on ambulances and fire brigade vehicles. I do not know if it is mainly minors who are involved in this type of behaviour but it is equally as despicable as those vehicles are responding to calls from members of the public. The penalties applicable under existing legislation include imprisonment and disqualification from driving. Is there a mandatory sentence or a guide for judges on disqualification from driving?

This Bill will copper-fasten and further highlight the crime of ramming Garda cars and I support its contents. I acknowledge that anybody who rams a Garda car is, by definition, a dangerous driver. If they have no regard for peacekeepers, they certainly have no regard for the ordinary citizens on our streets - our families, children and friends. That must be highlighted by further deterring and highlighting the law on ramming Garda cars. This Bill will achieve that and act as a further deterrent to those people and be a life saver for gardaí and all citizens.

It will make our roads safer. The putting in place of a mandatory sentence of the level provided for in this Bill will surely act as a deterrent to the ramming of Garda vehicles, thereby saving the lives of gardaí and other people on our roads.

I commend Deputy Griffin on the introduction on this Bill and welcome the Minister of State's statement that the Government does not propose to oppose it, although it is likely Committee Stage will be taken by a future Government. It is important every provision possible is put in place to ensure the safety of our peacekeeping forces, including An Garda Síochána who are, in general, unarmed and do a difficult job on our roads and in maintaining peace. I welcome the provisions of this Bill in that regard, which it is hoped will act as a deterrent to those people who might act against our Garda Síochána.

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