Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The contributions from Deputies from throughout the country make clear how their communities have been affected by crime. Clearly, it is both an urban and rural problem. We have had a normalisation of crime in what is a two-tier society. During the election campaign, we had three canvass teams in my constituency - Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and Fine Gael - which came together at a shopping centre. Two burglars arrived to carry out an armed robbery on a shop with a machete and various other weapons. They did so without any fear and in the full knowledge that they would not be caught. When one of the canvassers tried to call the Garda, it took him ten minutes to get through to the 999 number. That is the initial interaction with our crime force, yet one cannot make contact. How do we expect response times and detection rates to improve if we cannot get through to our emergency services? That is a key issue for me.

Last year, my own constituency of Dublin West had the highest number of burglaries and related crimes in the country. There were more burglaries in Dublin West than in Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Longford and Clare combined. That shows the level of crime we have in urban areas, but I recognise that the problem is not confined to particular constituencies and resources are needed throughout the country to cope with it. Anyone who is terrorised in their home or elsewhere needs to be protected.

It is too hard to pass off as coincidence that this spike in crime occurred as Garda numbers in the Dublin West constituency decreased by almost 17% between 2010 to 2015. It was disheartening to see the Minister trying to spin crime figures released by the CSO in March. She chose to focus on the positive. In her statement she said it was clear that initiatives she introduced had led to a reduction in burglaries. However, this ignored the fact that burglaries actually rose in the final quarter of the year when the new and much heralded Operation Thor was up and running. There was also no explanation as to why sexual assaults were up. The figures show that one person is raped in Ireland every day. This is a national scandal.

Today's newspapers have reported that someone in this city was assaulted on the streets and is disfigured because of it. He is a son of Professor Cusack in Cork. That is part of a normalisation of crime, including attacks, in our communities which our newspapers report every day. The Dáil should tackle this matter properly and prudently, which means resourcing gardaí and improving Garda numbers.

Deputy Niall Collins mentioned earlier that some 1,500 gardaí are scheduled to retire this year. They may not all retire but if there is to be a reduction of 1,500, how do we expect the current recruitment campaign to match that target? We need a collective debate to ensure a greater intensification of Garda recruitment.

The recent spate of gangland killings, some of which would seem more fitting to a Hollywood film than Ireland in 2016, shows that crime is a national problem and one that requires a national approach with joined-up thinking. Figures from the Department of Justice and Equality show up to 1,500 gardaí, including some of the force's most senior and experienced officers, are eligible for retirement this year. The closure of 139 Garda stations by the outgoing Government coincided with the force being whittled down to below 13,000 members. The net impact of this was to undermine severely the link between gardaí and the communities they serve.

A number of stations in rural Ireland have been mentioned. In my constituency, on the Navan Road, the Cabra Garda station has been closed. There have been a number of gangland shootings in that area in recent months. People fear that with the reduction of hours with the closure of that station, their quality of policing has been undermined in recent years.

During the period of the previous Government, we all saw press releases from Labour Party and Fine Gael Ministers and Deputies heralding the purchase of Garda cars, yet there were no gardaí to drive the vehicles. Despite the apparent capital investment, the cars were left sitting there. I welcome the fact the Government reopened Templemore Garda college but it was too late. We must intensify Garda recruitment.

More Garda vehicles should be equipped with automatic number plate recognition systems to crack down on illegal drivers. So far, only 100 cars have been equipped with this state-of-the-art equipment which has been used to great effect in the UK and elsewhere.

In her speech, the Minister did not mention the terms and conditions for gardaí, including graduate pay. The AGSI and other organisations have referred to this. It is important to reward gardaí and incentivise citizens to join the Garda Síochána. Their job, which involves daily risks, should be properly remunerated.

Prevention needs to be to the fore in our fight against crime and this happens in the community. Tackling reoffending rates should be a top priority in this regard, but the system also needs to allow for restorative justice for the victim and the community when a crime is committed. The fight against crime is eminently winnable if the will, resources and determination are there.

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