Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the additional funding being provided for law enforcement this year. I wish to reflect on the recent gangland shootings. There has been widespread outrage in relation to the recent gangland killings in Dublin and we need to see renewed efforts to defeat organised crime gangs before the situation escalates even further. In February, the Minister announced the provision of €5 million for a task force to tackle organised crime. Since then, unfortunately, we have seen more violent killings as the war between feuding gangs has escalated.

My party has consistently raised concerns about Garda numbers and resources. The force has been seriously depleted and starved of funding and resources are needed to ensure that it can effectively target criminal activity. We need a crime policy that is ahead of the criminals. We cannot allow the gangland feud to spiral further and efforts to defeat it must be intensified. It is important to show that law and order will prevail in society and that the gangs will be defeated.

The concept of a Garda Reserve has proven to be an efficient way of getting more feet on the ground. We need to double the Garda Reserve to more than to 2,500 to complement and support the work of the main force and to encourage community engagement with policing. In addition, a special accelerated training scheme should be put in place for Garda Reserve members selected to join the main force to ensure they are put on the beat as quickly as possible.

I concur with other speakers who have called for an increase in Garda numbers to 15,000. Garda numbers have been reduced below the level of 13,000 by the Government and that, accompanied by the closure of 139 Garda stations, has reduced the effectiveness of the Garda on the ground.

Reducing the force to such low levels jeopardises the safety and security of communities nationwide. The numbers of An Garda Síochána must be significantly increased to take the fight to criminals. The only way to keep homes safe and to protect communities is by increasing Garda numbers and to do this in as short a time possible. Rural Ireland has really felt the reduction in the numbers of gardaí and people's insecurity in their homes must be seen to be believed. More gardaí are needed to work on front-line duties and it is vital to get as many uniformed gardaí as possible working on the ground where they can be most effective. Everything must be done to relieve uniformed gardaí from administrative duties and get them back onto the street. There is a clear need to use civilian staff in the force to alleviate the burden of administrative duties on gardaí. This can be done by outsourcing certain non-essential duties that do not require a sworn officer and this would help to free up gardaí and put them back on the beat.

The role of community gardaí must be increased. 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. All Garda districts must be covered to ensure that a community garda is based in each area with strong links to the local community. The closure of Garda stations has been the one major mistake, above all others, that has helped the criminals in their activities in rural Ireland in particular. In the past, when crime in rural Ireland was at a low level, gardaí were deployed in rural Garda stations right around the country. At present, however, while mobile criminal gangs travel the countryside in search of opportunities, it has been decided to close these Garda stations and this was a mistake. In my native county of Tipperary, one can travel from Nenagh to Tipperary town, a distance of 60 km, and find no Garda stations. This is a paradise for the criminal. The closure of 139 Garda stations and the potential threat to the future of other small stations throughout the country is the wrong policy, as it jeopardises the security of countless communities and homes. The paltry savings of €500,000 from the closures did not justify the deeply damaging impact on the communities they served. I assure the Minister that crime and the fear of crime in rural Ireland is changing the very nature of society and this cannot be allowed to continue.

As for a new sentencing council, members of the public have doubts about the possible leniency of sentencing policy in the courts. Public faith in the justice system is an integral part of enabling the courts to do their job properly but inconsistent sentencing and a lack of information on decisions harms public trust in the justice system. The public also is frustrated that criminals are not held to account financially for their criminal activity. I believe that victims of crime must be supported. Too often, the justice system seems balanced in favour of criminals and repeat offenders, while ordinary people who fall prey to criminality are left unrecognised. I believe that criminals convicted of an offence should be expected to pay a victim's surcharge. This would be a charge to be paid by an offender after he or she had pleaded guilty or had been convicted. On the establishment of a national major crimes investigation team, I note that outside the capital, much of the Garda force suffers from a lack of expertise and resources in investigating serious crimes. It is necessary to invest in resources. If the Garda is to be given the best chance of defeating criminal activity, it then must be resourced properly. It is vital that the Garda is equipped with the resources and technology necessary to combat crime. As for the Garda fleet, a multi-annual vehicle investment programme will ensure the fleet is constantly upgraded and kept up to scratch to enable front-line officers react quickly and effectively. In short, resources are the key to fighting crime and Members must ensure that proper resources are put in place for this to happen.

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