Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on what is a very important and broad-ranging topic. I will start by focusing on Garda numbers because as a Deputy representing Kildare it is a significant issue and one that is raised constantly. Historically there has been a low ratio of gardaí to population in Kildare. During the good times many gardaí graduated from Templemore, but Kildare did not get its fair share. At the same time, the population of the county grew exponentially which has led to our current mess.

We do not have as many gardaí as we would like and our existing Garda resources are under significant pressure. I would like to acknowledge the role played by the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, in reopening Templemore in 2014. She worked closely with the Commissioner to address the shortfall, which allowed the Commissioner and senior officers within the Garda to begin to address the issues in Kildare.

Kildare has received an allocation of gardaí from every graduating class from Templemore since 2014, which is a significant development and an acknowledgement of the fact that there is a shortage of gardaí. In recent times, nine new Garda sergeants were appointed and as of 1 May 2016 there were more Garda sergeants and gardaí in Kildare than in 2015, a trend we need to see continue. Classes will graduate from Templemore in June and July, and I hope Kildare receives another allocation of gardaí to ensure the trend continues.

In that context, the proposal to increase Garda numbers to 15,000 is crucial and something I very much support. There are currently 12,800 gardaí, but I understand 1,500 officers will be entitled to retire this year, while 800 are supposed to retire under the current rules. I can understand that, as is the case with the Defence Forces, there is merit in keeping our Garda force young and agile to a certain extent and gardaí have a certain lifespan because of the very difficult nature of the job. However, in these exceptional times when Templemore has been closed for five years and Garda numbers are low, we must beef them up. Young recruits from Templemore alone will not be enough.

I suggest that for a short period there should be a relaxation of the retirement rules for those gardaí who do not want to retire and have very significant experience. They should be given an opportunity to serve for another couple of years as that would allow the new recruits coming into the system to gain valuable experience from them. In Kildare we have lost experienced gardaí. New recruits are very welcome to Kildare. I have corresponded with the Commissioner and expressed the need for Kildare to be able to get transfers of experienced gardaí. County Kildare is very attractive for gardaí who are currently based in Dublin but are from elsewhere in the country because it is closer to places such as Tipperary, Kilkenny, Cork etc.

The current structure results in any chief superintendent anywhere in the country never feeling he or she has enough gardaí. He or she will not allow the transfer of a garda if a replacement is not given in return. One could ask where that leaves Kildare, which has historically low numbers and does not have gardaí to give back. There are plenty of gardaí based in the greater Dublin area who would like to move to Kildare to work and who have a lot to offer. Bringing young recruits alone to Kildare is not sufficient.

The correspondence I received from the assistant commissioner stating that transfers would be allowed to Kildare must be acted upon. We need to engage with those gardaí who are actively seeking to transfer to Kildare. The issue will have to be addressed above the level of chief superintendent. The Commissioner and assistant commissioner will have to take on the issue and ensure the transfers happen. I do not expect any chief superintendent to give up gardaí easily, but redistribution would be important to ensure that every part of the country is evenly addressed. The suspension of the retirement rules as a short-term measure is a key element in addressing the issue.

Operation Thor has had a considerable impact in the short-term. Last year there were 18 to 19 burglaries on average each week in the Kildare district.

The most recent information indicates that the number has reduced to approximately four per week. That can be directly linked back to the extra man hours that were provided and the targeted work involved in breaking up a gang of approximately 20 youths in the Newbridge area who were carrying out a significant number of crimes and also an organised gang in the Castledermot area. There are 67 people before the courts, a number of whom are already serving time for some of those crimes. The improvements in tackling crime and the reduction in the crime statistics can be directly linked to Operation Thor.

Key targeted measures can be taken with extra resources. In the context of such resources, it is important to acknowledge that the Garda stations we had until 2012 were inherited from the British state. That said, I welcome the review of the closure of Garda stations. I disagree that we should go back to that historical system from the 1800s. We must consider a much more targeted measure. I wish to see more gardaí on the beat and that they are better resourced with ICT and Garda equipment rather than saying we should just open up every station that we inherited from the British. I wish to say a lot more but, in deference to my him, I will hand over to my colleague.

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