Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges:

— the number of Community Gardaí across the State has fallen from 1,182 in 2010 to 710 in July 2020, with a drop in Community Garda numbers in the Dublin Metropolitan Region decreasing by 45 per cent from 508 in 2010 to 278 in July 2020;

— the number of Gardaí assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region in August 2020 at 4,059 remains below 2010 figures at 4,160;

— that the Programme for Government makes a commitment to ‘prioritise visible policing in both rural and urban communities’ and ‘remove Gardaí from administrative, technical and other non-core duties to allow them to focus on policing matters’;

— the fear and anxiety felt throughout communities, particularly in urban areas in the run up to Halloween, caused by early onset of the misuse of fireworks;

— that several serious incidents have been reported, including fireworks being thrown at those attending a vigil for a hit and run victim, fireworks being thrown in letterboxes and pedestrians being targeted by fireworks;

— the threat caused by these actions to public services and community facilities such as local bus services, sports pitches and public parks;

— the impact of the use of illegal fireworks on the resources of emergency services, with over 900 calls to Dublin Fire Brigade on Halloween night 2018, including over 300 ambulance call-outs, and the Dublin Fire Brigade being called out to approximately 180 emergency incidents on Halloween night in 2019;

— the safety risk posed by the use of illegal fireworks and the increasing possibility of serious injuries in the absence of effective measures to prevent the unlicensed import, sale and distribution of illegal fireworks;

— the significant noise pollution and disturbance to the wider community caused by the illegal and frequent use of fireworks, which is particularly distressing for elderly people, young children and animals; and

— that the start date for Operation Tombola, which commenced on 4th September, 2020, is ineffective given that multiple incidents have been reported well in advance of the operations commencement; and

calls on the Government to:

— ensure that the frequency of Garda patrols in communities most affected by these actions is immediately increased and commit to restoring the number of Gardaí assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region to a minimum of 2010 levels by 2021;

— immediately increase the recruitment of Garda civilian staff to help facilitate an increased Garda presence in communities;

— commit to a minimum recruitment of 800 Gardaí per annum, with priority deployment in the area of community safety;

— immediately establish a joint taskforce between An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) under Operation Tombola, to proactively work to combat the distribution, sale and use of illegal fireworks;

— establish a confidential and dedicated telephone line to allow members of the public to report instances of the misuse of fireworks;

— immediately roll out a public and school awareness campaign incorporating Dublin Fire Brigade and the Gardaí, including engagements with schools, community groups and youth organisations, to highlight the dangers of the misuse of fireworks;

— commit to providing a report on Operation Tombola to the Houses of the Oireachtas before 31st December, 2020, identifying areas for improvement in resourcing and making recommendations in respect of same to develop an annual strategy for the effective combating of the importation, sale and use of illegal fireworks;

— immediately commence public consultation to run until after the Halloween period, involving community groups, youth organisations and the wider public, to identify the extent of the impact of the misuse of fireworks and to ensure that resources are effectively targeted in areas most affected and the views of effected communities are incorporated into the annual strategy; and

— commit to the establishment of Operation Tombola on an annual basis to commence no later than 1st July, and ensure that the operation is sufficiently resourced and involves joint co-operation with the PSNI.

I apologise but one should never run while wearing a face mask.

One only has to walk around parts of Clondalkin, Lucan, Palmerston and Rathcoole at night to see the effects that fireworks are having in our communities. This issue not only affects the length and breadth of Dublin but other urban centres across the country. My colleague, Deputy Gould, has highlighted the issue in his area in Cork city.

The use of fireworks began as early as June this year, much earlier than in other years. Our elderly residents are afraid of their use. Business owners have been targeted and have considered closing their shops and premises earlier. Families and workers have had their quality of life impacted. Children on the autism spectrum who are more sensitive to noise and light are terrified.

Fireworks are, however, the symptom of a larger problem. Antisocial behaviour is on the increase, along with open drug dealing and scrambler bikes becoming more prevalent in our areas. A report I received from Dublin Bus showed a 200% increase in bus service curtailments due to antisocial behaviour in July and August this year compared with the same time last year. This includes missiles and fireworks being aimed at buses, putting driver and passenger safety at risk.

Why is this happening? Community Garda numbers have decreased with Dublin seeing 45% fewer community gardaí in 2020 than in 2010. Last March, the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, issued a directive which placed community gardaí on a contingency roster. That meant that there were no community gardaí working in our communities after 7 p.m. Our communities have been abandoned and left vulnerable, as well as unsafe, by this decision.

One does not have to be a rocket scientist to work out the connection between a decreased Garda presence at night and an increase in antisocial behaviour and criminal activity. There is a sense of lawlessness within some of our communities. A Sinn Féin councillor on Dublin City Council, Daithí Doolan, recently tabled an emergency motion calling for a fireworks task force to be formed. This was unanimously supported by all parties and none on Dublin City Council. This motion is calling for a restoration of community Garda numbers to 2010 levels. We are also calling for the Garda Commissioner to immediately reverse his decision and allow community gardaí to work in our communities after 7 p.m.

Operation Tombola, which is launched every year in the run-up to Hallowe'en, did not begin this year until 4 September despite the issues being visible from June and July. Operation Tombola needs to be more flexible and brought forward.

This is a common-sense motion. It is common sense to want safe communities, that the elderly should be protected and that our families and workers have a better quality of life. However, common sense is not very common when it comes to Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party. I am asking all parties and none to put aside political differences and let common sense prevail by passing this motion to allow safety to be restored in our communities.

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