Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

First, let me extend best wishes to the newly appointed chairman of the Policing Authority and its soon to be appointed members. However, I also express my concern that the new authority will not be truly as independent as it might be. I welcome the Taoiseach's indication that the Cabinet sub-committee on justice reform will consider the Garda Inspectorate's report.

That report, Changing Policing in Ireland, is another wake-up call for the Government on the problems of policing in the State. It has concluded that An Garda Síochána is top heavy, inefficient, defensive, bureaucratic and resistant to change.

Ten years ago the Dáil passed legislation requiring the establishment of a Garda code of ethics, but that code remains in draft form. It might be useful to discover whether the Cabinet sub-committee on justice reform has discussed this issue. In recent years the Garda Inspectorate has made 11 recommendations on operational supervision, but only two have been implemented. Again, it might be useful to discover whether this issue was discussed by the Cabinet sub-committee. The new report proposes 81 changes and each recommendation is given a timeline to be implemented. We are told many of these changes could be delivered on a low or no cost basis. It is obvious reform is needed and the report's recommendations appear to be common sense.

The inspectorate has also concluded that when resources are cut, front-line policing is adversely affected. A series of public meetings have been held, mostly in rural Ireland, on the impact of burglaries and theft on farms. There has been a huge public response to these meetings, nowhere more so than in County Louth where two brave gardaí, Adrian Donohoe and Tony Golden, were recently murdered. At a meeting I attended in Ballymascanlon the issues affecting people were raised. They included fuel laundering and the dumping of toxic sludge, but burglaries and the theft of farm machinery and livestock were particular issues. There is huge anger at the lack of Garda patrols and the closure or reduced opening hours of Garda stations. This is a particular issue in Border regions because criminals use both the motorway network and the Border to make their escape.

Following the murder of Garda Tony Golden, additional Garda resources have been allocated in County Louth. This has had an immediate effect and I welcome the arms find in Jenkinstown. The move has also had the effect of disrupting criminal behaviour in the region. However, the additional resources are only temporary and have been provided from the resources provided for counties Cavan and Monaghan. Therefore, the gain for the community in north Louth following the killing of Garda Tony Golden represents a loss for counties Cavan and Monaghan.

In a previous discussion on the Cabinet sub-committee on justice reform here I suggested the new Garda authority should go into neighbourhoods and communities to listen to citizens as a means of building confidence. I know from experience in the North that the Patten process did this and that it played a crucial part in winning support for policing proposals and a two-way understanding of policing with the community and the community's responsibility to support the police. When I raised this issue previously, the Taoiseach said it seemed to be a good idea and that it would be discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee. Will he report back on what happened?

The 2007 inspectorate report recommended the devolution of greater autonomy to Garda regions, but that has not happened. There was particular concern at the time about the provision of front-line services. I note that front-line services have been undermined because of cuts made.

The idea of policing with the community is at the core of the report and part of the mission statement of An Garda Síochána. However, we do not have enough community gardaí. Of the 540 community gardaí assigned across the State, some 328 are in the six Dublin metropolitan regions. It is good that they are there and to be welcomed, but rural communities do not have a proportionate number of community gardaí and some have none at all. Im one third of the State there are no full-time community gardaí, while in 14 rural divisions there are ten or fewer.

The report has also found that too many fully trained gardaí are sitting behind desks. It suggests at least 1,500 and possibly up to 2,000 fully trained gardaí, at least 500 of whom are in Garda headquarters, could be taken out of offices to police the State.

This is a comprehensive document and I commend the members of the inspectorate for their efforts. The big test is whether the Government and An Garda Síochána will implement the recommendations made. Also, when the Cabinet sub-committee on justice reform has had an opportunity to discuss the report, will the Taoiseach report back to the Dáil on its deliberations?

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