Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy mentioned health, housing, rural Ireland and the Garda situation. Five years ago we inherited a situation where there was not any money, Garda recruitment had come to an end and Templemore was closed. There has been this festering situation in north inner city Dublin and in other locations around the country for quite some time. Government began to put resources, where possible, into the security forces in both Defence and the Garda. Templemore was reopened and began to recruit gardaí. In our programme for Government we set out an increase of recruitment through Templemore to have a real increase in Garda numbers to 15,000 and to cater for vacancies created by those gardaí who have retired on age grounds.

We have made it perfectly clear on many occasions that whatever the request made by the Garda Commissioner or the Garda authorities for dealing with gangland crime, those resources would be provided. One can only do that with a strong economy and that is why it is important for the management of the public economy be kept very clearly in sight. We discussed this at Cabinet having met with the Garda Commissioner and senior Garda personnel last week. The Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, made a specific request that the threshold which applies under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 should be reduced from €13,000 to €5,000 and we are going to do that. By way of regulation, the Government decided on the advice of the Criminal Assets Bureau to reduce the prescribed sum under which cash suspected to have been the proceeds of crime can be seized from €6,500 to €1,000 under section 38 of the Criminal Justice Act. Further proposals will go to Government to enhance and update legislation for the lawful interception of communications in respect of criminal activities.

Last week I said this matter goes beyond mere party politics. It affects the lives of innocent people and we understand the fear and pressure that these communities are under. The Garda will have the task force on crime for all of Dublin. We are going to respond with a task force for the north inner city. I expect to have consultations with Deputy Adams and Members of different parties who might have ideas about that and then go and talk to the community leaders and public representatives in the north inner city to look at the social disadvantage, the unfairness and lack of facilities in those areas for very many years. I am glad to see that the new primary care centre is about to commence in Summerhill and have a sod turned very shortly. However, it needs so much more because this is not something that can be dealt with overnight. There is a much longer term requirement for initiative and investment. Consultation and working with these communities, where very good people are committed to giving the children of the localities a life of opportunity, is needed. This means that whatever Garda resources are required, on the advice of the Garda Commissioner, will be provided. The Government has made that money available and is following through with these actions which will not of themselves put an end to this but they will help the Garda authorities, the gardaí on the ground and the communities to come to grips with this scourge.

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