Dáil debates

Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Topical Issue Debate

Garda Deployment

7:40 pm

Photo of James LawlessJames Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for stepping into the breach. With respect, that answer could have been given to any question about policing in the country. My question is specifically about my constituency, north Kildare, and my county, which is the worst served in the country per capita. It is not just me saying that but also the joint policing committee, Kildare County Council, the integrated service providers and every public representative in both north and south constituencies. In fact, in recent years the ratio has worsened. In 2015, the figure suggested a ratio of one garda for every 697 members of the population of County Kildare. In 2016, despite the Minister of State's suggestion of extra resources being deployed, the ratio was actually worse at 1:751. For every 751 residents of the county, there is one garda. That is the worst ratio in the entire State. In terms of Garda stations, the ratio is a little better.

With regard to the 307 gardaí deployed to County Kildare mentioned by the Minister, the census would suggest we need 513. If we include reservists, community and other types of garda, we are almost 270 short of what we need. We got 25, or 10% of what we need. The Minister of State suggested that is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. Does he consider the Commissioner is performing satisfactorily when one county has less than 10% of its required additional allocation, a stark difference in ratios, is at the bottom of the league table and up to 250 fewer gardaí than are actually needed?

The increase that has been given is in line with the population in that it is a 4.7% increase for 4.7% of the country's population. The point we need to drive home, however, is that the imbalance is historical. It goes back decades. Is it that Kildare is in the Pale where the people are considered to be better behaved and therefore did not require the same policing as other counties? Those historical anomalies must be addressed and I ask the Tánaiste to do that as a matter of urgency. We have highlighted a particular horrific incident but there have been numerous incidents. There is the shopkeeper whose staff are afraid to go to work. There is the opportunist crime carried out by burglars coming down the motorways. People are being hit every day of the week. People are afraid, be they students in the university town, business keepers or staff going to work. The Tánaiste has to intervene to address what is a shocking anomaly, the worst in the entire State. I ask the Minister of State to take it on board.

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