Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I fully accept that operational issues are for the Garda Commissioner, but when extra gardaí were assigned to Drogheda the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and the local Fine Gael Deputy made sure they were there for the press conference and the pictures. The gardaí were assigned after the events took off and after the problem took hold. Today we are referring to Drogheda and Longford, which are two fine communities, but there are communities across the country living in fear of low-level anti-social behaviour up to drug and criminal gang activity. They do not want to be the next towns with armed support units. There needs to be proactivity on the part of the Minister and the Government, while respecting the line and respecting that operational issues are a matter for the Garda Commissioner. We need proactivity from the Government and the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, to respond to concerns in the communities around the country as they see their own communities, families and day-to-day activities being targeted by gangs. These places do not want to be the next towns with armed support units. I put it to the Tánaiste that proactivity at Cabinet level and working with the Garda Commissioner is what we need, not false promises or false issues about legislation.

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