Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann shall take note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality entitled 'Report on Community Policing and Rural Crime', copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 28th March, 2019.

I wish to share time with Deputies Adams and Funchion, if I may. I thank the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, for his attendance here this evening to debate the report on community policing and rural crime. I also thank the members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality for their respective contributions to the report, which was unanimously agreed and formally launched on 28 March 2019.

As I state in my preface to the report, issues relating to Garda oversight and accountability have been a key priority for the current Joint Committee on Justice and Equality but in addressing the issue of community policing, we sought to go beyond that and look at the bigger picture of how a modern policing service should be structured to most effectively address crime and engage with local communities. To assist in its work, the committee held a series of engagements with experts and stakeholders during October 2018, including with representatives from the University of Limerick school of law, Foróige, the Garda youth diversion project, Muintir na Tíre, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, An Garda Síochána, the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, and the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, ICSA. Notwithstanding the exceptional work undertaken by members of An Garda Síochána, it is essential that public confidence in our policing service is maintained and that local communities feel secure.

There was a strong and shared view among witnesses that the philosophy of community policing should lie at the heart of policing in Ireland. It became abundantly clear in the course of the hearings that the philosophy of community policing has been undervalued in Ireland and needed to be strengthened. While some districts have made efforts to sustain the core values of community policing, under-resourcing has led to a deficiency in this ethos. As a committee, we therefore very much welcome the report and recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, and strongly support the community district policing model set out therein. Promoting community-based strategies would not only address the underlying causes of crime but would also help provide reassurance to those experiencing the very real fear of crime that exists, particularly in rural communities where the closure of Garda stations, consequent on the financial crisis, has had a very negative impact.

The committee recognises the importance of a visible Garda presence in communities and although Garda numbers are now increasing, it is imperative that greater investment and allocation of resources are provided to ensure the adequate assignment of gardaí to front-line district policing roles. A modern and cost-effective method to increase visibility would be greater use of social media, which has proved to be highly effective and efficient in other jurisdictions for engaging with communities in rural or isolated areas.

The role of front-line police is changing, and the overlap of policing and healthcare issues cannot be ignored when developing a modern police service. The lack of provision of primary healthcare and other welfare services outside of regular business hours leaves many front-line police managing non-crime incidents, many involving mental health issues and the welfare of vulnerable individuals. Providing the resources and funding to allow for a multi-agency approach is essential in order to offer local communities the supports and services they need, regardless of the day or time in which they require it. The committee therefore supports a statutory requirement for the establishment of an integrated, structured, multi-agency model such as the multi-agency concern hubs in the North of Ireland in order to provide an effective and cohesive service to address the current gaps in the overall provision.

In order to significantly address crime, the committee believes in a preventative approach that proactively addresses the problems within communities, with greater Garda emphasis on early intervention and assessment of risk, rather than the more traditional reactive approach to crimes committed. In recognising the work of Muintir na Tíre and others in crime prevention, the committee calls for continued support for the community alert and text alert schemes, as well as the proper funding and roll-out of CCTV schemes throughout the country. Finally, in addition to welcoming property marking projects such as the IFA's TheftStop, the committee recommends the expansion of the recently introduced CESAR scheme, a European-wide database used to trace stolen farm equipment through the use of police-held scanners. Community-led schemes such as these are essential to addressing crime in rural areas in particular.

The report contains 20 recommendations, and I would like to thank all those who contributed to the report. In conclusion, I urge the Minister for Justice and Equality and his Government colleagues to give this report detailed consideration and to advise a timeframe for the implementation of its recommendations for the benefit of both the public and the serving members of An Garda Síochána. I thank everyone who contributed to this report, including the members of the committee, all the witnesses who presented at committee hearings and the staff of the committee secretariat, whose support has been invaluable.

I commend the report to the House and urge the Minister to act on the recommendations at the earliest opportunity.

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