Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

When the Taoiseach is walking around the country and when we are walking around constituencies, the one thing that always sticks in one's mind when crime and bad antisocial behaviour are raised, as happens regularly, is that people want to see gardaí - male and female - on the streets.

The visibility of gardaí is missing, and that is a key problem. It is about resources, numbers, particularly on the front line. That must be addressed. We also must have a full discussion of the O'Ríordáin report because apparently it makes important points about accountability and the fact that there is no central accountability in the Department of Justice and Equality. Civil servants and gardaí sometimes have ended up in the same trench together. Garda Commissioner Harris must get rid of that mindset.

I wish to make two final points. Emily Logan, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, recently drew attention to the Lifecycle of a Hate Crime: Country Report for Ireland and said that we are deficient in responding to hate crime. Is that at the top of the Government's agenda for legislation given that she said legislation is required? Finally, I have asked probably 30 times during this Administration for reports on the ongoing investigations of serious white collar crime on foot of the findings of the Flood, Mahon and Moriarty tribunals. When will other Deputies and I get a proper report on the investigation following those tribunals?

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