Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have the opportunity to address the Dáil on the subject of crime, a major issue during the recent election. Deputies on this side of the House deserve a degree of credit for the way in which crime, in particular rural crime, was consistently raised at the forefront of Dáil business.

The violent and disgusting acts by criminal gangs in Dublin city in recent weeks and months are to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. These lethal assassinations served as a wake-up call that gangland crime is well and truly alive in Ireland. Accordingly, we must now seriously look at the possibility of establishing a second criminal court to deal with the current backlog and bring these reckless criminals to justice. As acting Fianna Fáil spokesperson on community affairs, rural crime remains a major issue in my constituency.

During the recent election campaign, people on every doorstep in rural communities, particularly older people, echoed the same sense of fear and vulnerability to aggravated burglary and crime. The message being relayed is clear and consistent, and as elected public representatives we have a responsibility to listen and act. The confidence and supply arrangement that Fianna Fáil has agreed with Fine Gael provides for an increase in Garda numbers to 15,000, investment in CCTV and a mandate for the Policing Authority to oversee a review of the boundaries of Garda districts and the dispersal of Garda stations. These were all key priorities for our party in the recent election, and each measure has the potential to be an effective deterrent in the fight against crime.

A senior member of An Garda Síochána explained to me recently that the single greatest deterrent to crime is the Garda on the beat, and I could not agree more. This is why we cannot underestimate the importance of the reintegration of the community gardaí to protect our towns and villages. People want a familiar and trusted point of contact in their local Garda station. The importance of members of the local community in gathering local intelligence through receipt of information from members of the public is crucial in the prevention of crime.

Strong community relations are the bedrock of an effective police force. However, the imbalance in community gardaí across the country is damaging local links with the force. We need to cover all Garda districts to ensure that a community garda is based in each area with strong links to the local community. We can make extra gardaí available by ramping up the use of civilian staff to alleviate the burden of administrative duties. Such action, as was clearly outlined in the Garda Inspectorate report, coupled with effective workforce planning and outsourcing of certain non-essential duties that do not require a sworn officer, will help to free up gardaí to get them back on the beat and visible in their communities to tackle crime directly. I look forward to continuing to raise the vital issue of community gardaí and effective community policing with the Minister for Justice and Equality in the next Government, and I hope we can engage in a productive manner on this issue.

It is important to state on the record of the House that I am advocating for a doubling of the strength of the Garda Reserve to more than to 2,500 to complement and support the work of the main force and encourage community engagement with policing. However, we must legislate to protect our Garda Reserve members. During the last Dáil, Fianna Fáil introduced the Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill, which was accepted by the Government but has remained parked on Second Stage. I am calling for this legislation to be examined again, as incidents involving assaults on emergency workers are far too common.

The recent rise in incidents involving knife crime is gravely worrying and must be addressed. We cannot allow carrying a knife to become commonplace. Last September, Fianna Fáil published the Criminal Justice (Knife Possession) Bill, which provides for a mandatory minimum 12-month custodial sentence for anyone convicted of illegally carrying a knife in public place.

Finally, figures released in September 2015 showed an annual increase of almost 21% in sexual offences in the Kilkenny district, with incidents of rape and sexual assault up by 10%. CSO figures released this week revealed a 15% rise in sexual offences nationally. Surely these figures serve as a very strong warning to the incoming Government that such grave offences are continuing to increase in number and require immediate and effective action.

It is all about having a local garda in a local area. We need some incentive for gardaí to live in their local areas and be involved in their local communities. That is what it is about. We will then have local and community policing.

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