Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister, I thank Deputy Ó Ríordáin for raising this matter.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Office of Public Works has responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation. Works in respect of Garda accommodation are progressed by the Garda authorities working in close co-operation with the OPW.

The current Garda building and refurbishment programme, which runs to 2021, is based on agreed Garda priorities and covers more than 30 locations across the country, supported by significant Exchequer funding across the Garda and OPW Votes. While a new station in Dublin 13 and 17 is not part of the current programme, I understand from An Garda Síochána that proposals for a new station will be considered as part of the next Garda accommodation programme. In the meantime, the Minister has been advised that local Garda management have a policing plan for the district in question, which incorporates a weekly Garda clinic in the area operated by the community policing unit from Coolock. This includes regular liaison meetings with residents groups to deal with policing matters.

The Deputy will also be aware that, as part of the overall strategy to oppose criminality, the Garda authorities pursue a range of partnerships with community stakeholders, for example, the community alert programme and the Garda text alert scheme. That said, the Minister is very conscious of how the impact of anti-social behaviour affects the quality of life for local communities. Crime prevention and diversion, beginning with young people, are priorities for the Minister and the programme for Government contains a number of commitments to tackle anti-social behaviour, including a commitment to set up a special expert forum on anti-social behaviour to consider the effectiveness of existing legislation and propose new ways forward. These include new powers for An Garda Síochána and additional interventions to support parenting of offenders; new legislation implementing the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, which will, among other elements, redefine policing to include prevention of harm to those who are vulnerable and mandate multi-agency collaboration in conjunction with impacted communities; and development of a youth justice strategy 2020-26, which will include consideration of the full range of issues connected to children and young people at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system, including early intervention and preventative work.

I was a Member of the Seanad when the Deputy was a Senator and I am aware he raised this issue many times. Deputy Nash who was also a Senator at the time outlined the position regarding Drogheda. On the face of it, the north inner city initiative has been a success. I will make the Minister aware of the Deputy's comments on setting up a commission to examine these two areas of the north side, specifically in the Deputy's constituency.

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