Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last week, I raised with the Taoiseach the issue of the growing crime problem, particularly drug crime, in Cork and the lack of Garda resources to deal with it. He stated that he was unable to comment directly on the issue as he did not have an up-to-date briefing. I hope he has since received such a briefing, particularly in light of the smash and grab organised online this week which led to 100 youths running up and down St. Patrick's Street with their faces covered. Only for the quick action of the Garda, untold damage could have been caused to businesses.

In case the Taoiseach has not received an up-to-date briefing, I will give him a flavour of the situation, as outlined in a recent statement given by the Garda Representative Association, GRA, to the Irish Examiner. He does not have to take my word on this issue. The GRA stated that, as a result of a shortage of 125 front-line gardaí, the people of Cork city are not getting the policing service they deserve. It stated that gardaí are bogged down doing secretarial work, a situation it described as farcical considering there was supposed to be a major push to bring in civilians to do the administrative work within the force. It further stated that single-officer patrols are now a regular occurrence in areas such as Douglas, Ballincollig and Blarney and that these are a health and safety issue for members of the force. The district detective unit, which is currently investigating several murders and is expected to also investigate other very serious crimes, had its numbers almost halved from 30 in 2013 to its current complement of 16. At one point last year, the protective services unit, which investigates sexual crime, had to stop taking on new cases, as I pointed out last week to the Taoiseach. Each garda in the unit is dealing with up to 39 complex cases. This situation is no longer acceptable or sustainable.

Padraig Harrington, a member of the GRA's central executive committee, has stated on record that calls for more gardaí in Cork are falling on deaf ears. He further stated that if the requests do not come from divisions in Dublin, senior management in Dublin do not want to know, and that several new patrol cars assigned to the southern region earlier this year were subsequently diverted to divisions in Dublin.

That is the reality in Cork city and its suburbs. That is what we are hearing on doorsteps while canvassing. People are concerned for their safety and that of their families. Communities are concerned. People are entitled to feel safe regardless of whether they are from Ballsbridge or Knocknaheeney, Foxrock or Mayfield. All we are asking for in Cork is a fair allocation of resources. Last week, the Taoiseach stated - and the Tánaiste reiterated last Friday on local radio - that he would discuss with the Garda Commissioner the issues I raised in this Chamber last Wednesday. Has he done so? If not, why not?

See this speech in context