Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate and reinforce what my colleague has said. I have great regard for the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, but I am disappointed that the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, is not here to take this issue. It is an example of the way he and Government treats Dublin when it comes to policing.

We have to get serious about crime and criminality in the city and county of Dublin. I raised issues directly with the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, just before Christmas. In the Dublin metropolitan region, DMR, north, which is much of the area I represent, with over 300,000 people, we have lost 147 gardaí since 2010. I want to start on a small positive. As a result of the community action in places like Balbriggan and Swords, and supported by myself - I have continually raised the issue of the lack of community gardaí - the Garda Commissioner announced an additional five community gardaí in Balbriggan, which will increase the number from two, for a population of 38,000 people. That is welcome and long overdue but very badly needed. In Swords, which is the size of a city, with a population of over 50,000, we have ten community gardaí. An extra five were announced, which I welcome, but I put it to the Minister of State that it is because of the continuing pressure we are putting on the Minister and the Department of Justice and Law Reform to deliver the additional gardaí.

The Minister of State will agree with me that people deserve to feel safe and secure in their own homes and communities. There are large rural swathes in my constituency, including Garristown, where we have one garda. Rush Garda station was closed. Malahide Garda station closes at 9 p.m., and there are no community gardaí in Malahide for a population of just under 30,000. Fingal is the fastest growing part of the country and we have lost one in five gardaí in five years. That is 20% of the force. Not only has that an impact on intelligence gathering and on experience within our force, it has an effect on the community.

I want to hear from Government today that policing in Dublin is a priority. I meet with the chief superintendents and inspectors in my district and I see the work they and the rank and file gardaí are doing. We have just had a debate on the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill and the issue of illicit drugs. Our drugs unit in north Dublin is half of what it was in 2010. We have lost one in two, or 50%, of the gardaí in that unit. It cannot continue. Fianna Fáil in Dublin, with four Deputies, is putting Government on notice that it will no longer accept that. We want it to resource the Garda in Dublin county and city. Deputy Lahart outlined the figures. In my DMR district, 147 gardaí are gone, with a population that has grown nearly 8% in that intervening period.

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