John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is a pity the Minister for Justice and Equality is not here. We want to highlight the decline in the number of front-line gardaí in Dublin, particularly over the past year or so. The figures tell us that Dublin has lost almost 100 gardaí since last year, despite what the Minister and the Government are telling us about increased resources and increased numbers. In real terms, Dublin has lost 1,000 gardaí since 2010. At a time when Garda numbers in the rest of the country are increasing, we have to ask what it is about Dublin and this Government when it comes to the provision of adequate policing for the communities that live here.

5 o’clock

It was summed up best by Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy, who commented publicly at the end of January. He stated:

Despite the fact that there are new personnel, drainage into specialist units and transfers continue to reduce frontline policing. We have hit rock bottom.

That is a direct quote from the Assistant Garda Commissioner.

There have been 15 gangland killings in 27 months. In my constituency there are 110 fewer gardaí in Dublin metropolitan region south compared to 2010. That takes in Tallaght, Rathfarnham, Crumlin and Terenure Garda stations. Community gardaí are down 20% in the same metropolitan region, and we may as well say that the Garda Reserve numbers have collapsed.

Regarding detection rates for burglaries, any of us who are members of joint policing committees, and most of us are, burglaries are down from the spike in 2014-2015, but the detection rate in the areas is mind-bogglingly low. Three houses were burgled one afternoon recently in one of the parishes in my constituency. There are complaints of poor response times, mainly because the Garda is under-resourced and there are not enough gardaí. In Rathfarnham Garda district, in which there is approximately 15,000 or 20,000 houses, robbery from establishments has soared by up to 140% and theft from the person is up 84%. In regard to Terenure Garda station, the figure for theft from the person is up 100%. In terms of detection rates across all these, the figures are 9% in Tallaght Garda station, 5% in Rathfarnham Garda station, 10% in Crumlin station and 7% in Terenure station.

As the numbers of gardaí in Dublin have fallen, curiously, the numbers in Portlaoise Garda station have risen year on year and the biggest increase in Portlaoise Garda station, in the Minister's constituency, has taken place since his appointment. What is it about Dublin that our numbers of gardaí are falling but in the Minister's constituency and throughout Garda districts across the rest of the country, Garda numbers on the street are rising?

See this speech in context