Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputies Carroll MacNeill and O'Dowd.

I join others in congratulating the Minister on her very well-deserved appointment and promotion and the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, on his appointment, as well as paying tribute to their predecessors, Deputies Flanagan and Stanton, respectively, for putting in a highly impressive period in their respective portfolios.

There is quite a bit in the Estimates we can discuss but I would like to address one specific area. I refer to Vote 20 and the €1.879 billion allocated to the funding of An Garda Síochána. Like everyone else, we welcome the resources provided, the additional Garda numbers, the €13 million of personal protective equipment that had to be purchased to deal with the Covid-19 crisis, the €9 million additional fleet capacity and the €32 million worth of capital projects. We have to ensure that when all this funding is granted, the best of equipment, of cars and of capital projects is supplied to ensure An Garda Síochána is able to face the many challenges it faces every day with the best equipment and the best training. That means there also has to be the best and most advanced use of ICT and of continuing professional development.

One area Deputy James Browne referred to in respect of the Prison Service was that of mental health. I am very interested in the Minister's thoughts, particularly as someone who has held the junior ministerial portfolio with responsibility for mental health and who has done so much good work in the area, on what is being budgeted for mental health provisions for members of An Garda Síochána. My concerns have arisen from numerous discussions with members of the organisation who are constituents of mine or with whom I have come in contact. The issue really became apparent when I was watching the documentary on Virgin Media One, "The Guards: Inside the K", when an officer was repeatedly abused by somebody being taken into custody who repeatedly said to the officer he would find the officer's children and rape and kill them. Irrespective of what we do in our life, such language and abuse takes its toll, especially when it is in a stressful professional environment where people put their lives on the line every day. They put their lives on the line to protect us.

We have to consider the recent report of the Garda Representative Association that stated one sixth of members of An Garda Síochána suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. A total of 27% are known as the walking wounded and, sadly, seven suicides have been committed by members of the organisation. We rely so much on An Garda Síochána and we have seen how brilliant it has been in the very tough recent months for our society. Its members protect us but are we doing enough to protect them? I would appreciate the Minister's thoughts on what in the Estimates could be put towards ensuring we meet our obligations to those men and women who sacrifice so much for us.

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