Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I compliment the Chairman, Deputy Ó Caoláin, and committee members on an excellent report. Well done. It is something we have all been waiting for. The findings of the report are very timely in terms of ongoing work that has been happening in regard to reform and in regard to highlighting a number of areas that are very important to all of us, as well as areas that need urgent action.

Community policing is very much focused on the prevention of crime by building trust and strong relationships between gardaí and the community by engaging in different partnership groups and projects in terms of co-operating to improve the area. In that light, we have great leadership in Kildare from Superintendent Martin Walker. Last year, when there was a particular incident in Kildare town, Superintendent Walker started community coffee mornings with members of the community who may feel alienated in regard to going into a Garda station.

It gives older members of the community an opportunity to meet and talk to Garda about their concerns. It has been successful to the extent that it has been piloted in another area as well. Where there is a lack of visible Garda presence, it is a problem. The Minister, Deputy Flanagan, mentioned areas in his county. Four and a half miles from where he lives in the town of Portarlington, which is the second biggest town in Laois with a population of 10,500, the Garda station operates on a part-time basis. Portarlington needs a fully operational Garda station. The Minister will be aware of the many ongoing problems in that area, which I believe could be dealt with through a stronger Garda presence. The Garda stations in Ballitore and Ballymore Eustace have been closed a number of years, with no sign of them being re-opened. It is important that in areas where Garda stations cannot be re-opened for whatever reason, there is a strong Garda presence and that community centres are used as drop-in centres where people can engage with the Garda, including to have forms stamped etc because people without private transport may not be able to travel to a Garda station in a neighbouring town if they need to have forms stamped and their identity verified.

A number of actions can be taken on foot of the findings of this report, with the main action being an increase in the number of Garda on the ground in communities. The establishment of a rural crime task force within An Garda Síochána is important. Time and again there are reports in the national and local newspapers about rural crime. This is particularly difficult for people who are socially isolated. It leads to an extra fear for them.

The CCTV element is important. I welcome the Minister's clarification in that regard. CCTV can play an important role in crime prevention and in providing reassurance. I acknowledge Deputy Rabbitte's point in regard to having CCTV on motorway bridges because criminals travel the motorways to places like Kildare and Laois that are close to the motorways to commit crime. That is important. Many small towns such as Athy and Kilcullen have made applications for CCTV systems. Other areas such as Newbridge and Rathangan also need it. While I welcome the Minister's clarification that there is now legal certainty in regard to CCTV, the scheme has been stymied by a number of factors, including the initial start-up cost to communities and complexities and delays in the application process. There have been administrative disputes between local authorities and the Garda Síochána in regard to who will be responsible for the operation of the CCTV and data management. Roll out of CCTV is important but it requires greater funding up-front and a streamlining of the grant application process. CCTV would also be of assistance in addressing fly-tipping that is happening in particular areas.

I welcome Deputy Martin Kenny's remarks in regard to sexual exploitation. I did not believe the extent to which brothels were operating in our rural towns until I came across it as close to first-hand as possible. I was completely shocked when I learned of the number of operations here, the length of time they stay in particular areas and of the vulnerable girls, many of them not from Ireland, they move from place to place. We probably would not be aware of these operations but for the businesses located close to them which witnessed what was going on and which reported it to the Garda. In fairness to the Garda, they have taken action. Sometimes it takes a while to gather the evidence in order to be able to take that action. Where we are conscious of these operations we have to work with the local communities to eradicate them but we also have to be patient because the Garda have to gather the proper information before they can act.

Another area that is really important, which I appreciate does not come under community policing and rural crime, is that of domestic violence. It is an area that I feel the Garda is not fully equipped to deal with. I am a member of a local joint policing committee, JPC, which is a role I value. I also value the leadership that is shown by the Garda in the JPC in terms of working with the community. Up to last year, the area of domestic violence was not reported on as a specific statistic. We all know from the horrific statistics that we hear about domestic violence from the organisations that deal with the vulnerable women in this situation, that we need to do more. The Garda needs to be better resourced to deal with it.

My final point is in regard to the large proportion of crime that is being carried out by those on bail for other offences or people with previous convictions for similar offences. We have to respond to this issue by introducing deterrents to re-offending. It is important that we introduce tougher bail laws and legislation to make electronic monitoring a condition of bail for anyone convicted of a serious offence in the previous ten years. Restorative justice was mentioned. It too is important. I had a meeting recently with academics in this area, based in Maynooth University, and gardaí who are experts in this area as well. We need to do more work in terms of the development of stronger policy in this area and to work with those who have committed crime to help them to see the error of their ways and become better citizens of the State. We need to work with young people in particular. My colleague, Deputy Rabbitte, spoke about the juvenile liaison officers, JLOs, who are extremely important. Teenage involvement in petty crime and anti-social behaviour is ever increasing. It is a crime. The reason, in part, there is not more action in this area is because it is sometimes hard to define anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour is not viewed as a real crime, but it is. Where a person's quality of life is impacted by anti-social behaviour it is a crime. We have to be stronger in tackling it. We have to do more to prevent this type of behaviour.

I thank the Minister for being here and I thank the committee and its Chairman for their sterling work on the report.

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