Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the importance of this debate and I thank Deputy Seán Haughey for raising it. I also acknowledge the importance of raising the issue under Topical Issue matters in the manner the Deputy has done, rather than engaging in type of soundbite politics we see every day on the Order of Business. There are not many of those people here now. Those are the people who rush in, engage in soundbite politics and then leave the Chamber. I very much welcome the points raised by Deputy Haughey. I assure him that the Government is committed to ensuring that Ireland is a safe and secure place for all, and that the well-being of all our communities is a priority for me as the Minister for Justice and Equality.

I am aware of the incidents referred to by Deputy Haughey, and in particular the shooting that took place in his constituency last weekend. I have condemned this wanton violence and I call on everybody to pass on any information they might have, however small, by calling the Garda station in Coolock or the Garda confidential line. The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot comment on any specific investigation or any other ongoing criminal investigation, but I assure Deputy Haughey that we are making progress in tackling drugs and organised crime. I share Deputy Haughey's concern about the destructive impact that drugs and crime related to drugs can have on communities. I fully agree on the importance of tackling such behaviour effectively.

Before addressing the Garda resources in the area, I will take the opportunity to highlight that action is being taken on a range of levels to address these matters. While policing is a key issue, I believe Deputy Haughey will agree that we cannot address this as a policing matter alone. There is a need to address drug-related offending in a strategic multiagency way. Our policy in relation to drug and alcohol misuse is set out in Ireland's national drugs strategy for 2017-2025, which is a health-led response. I note that the strategy is unique among national drugs strategies across EU member states in recognising the need to address drug-related debt intimidation at a community level. It is also important to note the budget provided for Garda youth diversion projects, and I appreciate the work done in this regard by Minister of State, Deputy David Stanton. I also recognise the importance of community stakeholders and community leaders in this work. Deputy Haughey referred to the activity on the ground on the part of many people, and he specifically mentioned Fr. Bryan Shortall, who I saw on television recently. I agree with the points made by Fr. Shortall on those broadcasts. Work such as that in communities plays an important preventative role and show good results over time, coupled with Garda enforcement action.

The Garda national drugs and organised crime bureau continues to have significant success in tackling these issues. I understand from the Garda Commissioner that since its establishment in March 2015, the bureau has been responsible for the seizure of controlled substances with an estimated value of approximately €167 million and has seized 108 firearms. I also mention Operation Hybrid. With regard to Garda numbers in the Coolock area, as of 31 October 2019, the workforce increased from 103 gardaí and 11 staff to 117 gardaí and 16 staff. This means that an additional 73 gardaí have been allocated to the Dublin metropolitan region northern division since the start of 2016, alongside a 38% increase in Garda civilian staff over the same period. These numbers are still increasing. The Taoiseach and I will attend the Garda college in Templemore tomorrow to see a graduation of a further 200 new gardaí. I understand that the Garda Commissioner intends to allocate additional Garda resources to the DMR northern division from the attestation scheduled for tomorrow.

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