Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also wish to raise the Building Community Resilience report by Dr. Johnny Connolly. It stated in the report that just over 1% of people in the community concerned were involved in this criminal activity and that is an important lesson because this report reflects many other communities around the country that are in a similar position and that are often termed "gangland". It is not; only a tiny proportion of people are involved in this and a targeted response is needed.

In each year between 2008 and 2014, there was a cut in the funding to the drugs task force. Since 2014, there has been a freeze in the money for the drugs task force. While we cannot freeze rent, it seems that we can freeze the money we give to the drugs task force. That is a lesson to which we need to respond. The Building Community Residence report states that much of this is down to putting the targeted response in the right place.

I invite the Taoiseach to make a commitment from Government that the funding will be restored to the drugs task force and we will ensure that these communities get the kind of funding they require and that we see the type of community policing response that is required in these communities to give confidence to ordinary people who are afraid to ring the Garda when they see these kinds of activities happening.

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