James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Deputy McEntee on her appointment as Minister for Justice and Equality. I also congratulate Deputy Charlie McConalogue on his appointment as Minister of State at that Department. They are capable and able Ministers.

Each year, a significant amount of money is expended on the Department of Justice and Equality and consideration of that expenditure by Members of Dáil Éireann is a critical aspect to taking account of how our Government and Departments spend money. The Department of Justice and Equality encompasses the Garda Síochána, the Courts Service and the Prison Service and various other important agencies such as the Data Protection Commission, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, the Policing Authority, the Property Services Regulatory Authority and Insolvency Service Ireland.

I want to touch on a number of important and key issues relevant to the Department. Before doing so, I want to offer heartfelt thanks to An Garda Síochána in County Wexford and throughout the country and to those in our Prison Service as well, who continued to work throughout the Covid emergency. Gardaí within the communities did fantastic work in terms of reaching out to vulnerable people and helping those who, very often, were in serious and concerning situations.

The Garda Reserve is a feature of policing that could be utilised more in terms of aiding the word of the Garda and protecting the public. In May 2020, there were 436 members of the Garda Reserve. In 2014, there were 1,124 members in the Garda Reserve. According to the Department of Justice and Equality website, the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland recommended a pause in the recruitment of the Garda Reserve pending completion of a strategic review of the Reserve. That strategic review is one of the priority projects being progressed by An Garda Síochána in 2019. The review was due to be completed by the end of quarter 2 2019. Will the Minister clarify if that review has taken place and what measures are being taken?

On the Prison Service, and in particular the issue of mental health therein, I appreciate the Minister has bona fides in the area of mental health having previously been a Minister of State with responsibility for mental health. I know she has great interest in this area but nonetheless last October there were 614 prisoners awaiting psychological supports from within the prison system and delays in terms of access to the Central Mental Hospital, in some cases of up to almost two years. I am aware the new central mental hospital in Portrane is due to open soon but I do not think it will be sufficient to meet demand either. The Revised Estimate references that in 2018 the output target was 800, almost 1,200 were seen and yet we ended up with a significant delay. The output target in the current Revised Estimate is 850. Based on what we know in regard to the delays around mental health in the Prison Service I do not think that target is high enough to address the significant backlog within the mental health services. I ask that the Minister give that particular attention because it is a matter that has not received the attention it deserved in the last number of years.

On the Courts Service, there are no plaudits for putting money into a Courts Service or appointing new judges. An inefficient and ineffective courts system impacts on our society in a number of ways. Justice delayed is justice denied. I practised as a barrister for 14 years and I know that in the Criminal Court it would often take up to five years to get a case completed. Within that time witnesses' memories diminish or key witnesses die and families and victims of families end up suffering intolerable stress as a result of the delay in getting a case to completion. In terms of our Courts Service, the target is a maximum use of every judge being available every day and every court room being used to its maximum capacity and even with that, there are significant delays within our Courts Service. I accept the Courts Service is not an area to the fore of the public's mind but it has a very real impact on people. It also has a real impact on our economy. If we do not have an effective, a timely and an efficient commercial system, it impacts on how our economy functions. Without an effective social justice system, faith in our system is lost and this undermines social cohesion as well. Our Courts Service needs particular attention over the next couple of years.

I would like now to focus on the issue of domestic and gender based violence, which was touched on earlier by a number of colleagues. It is reported that there has been a significant increase in domestic violence in our communities since the onset of Covid. Much of this has been the uncovering of a significant under-reporting of domestic violence that has been going on in our society for some time. In April, UN Secretary General, Mr. Guterres, stated there was a horrifying global surge in domestic violence. The Garda deserves huge praise in respect of Operation Faoiseamh but we need to examine what additional supports are required for people who are subject to domestic violence, the vast majority of whom are women but men are subject to it as well and children suffer greatly as result of the outcomes of the domestic violence. We need to provide greater supports in this area such that when people need supports they can access them in a safe manner without alerting their abusers. We must ensure there are refuges available for people who need them.

The final issue I want to touch on is Traveller and Roma initiatives. The Revised Estimate provides a significant increase in funding for Traveller and Roma integration services. I accept this area may be moving from the Department of Justice and Equality to another Department. The programme for Government, under the heading of mental health, provides targets to deal with issues relating to the Roma and Traveller communities. I made sure this was specifically included in the programme. I would like to see greater integration between the Departments to address Roma and Traveller community issues and to give them the supports they need.

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