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

I thank Deputies from all sides of the House for their contributions to the debate on this motion. It has been a worthwhile discussion and there is a general consensus that there is a problem which must be addressed. I am disappointed but not surprised that the Government does not propose to support the motion.

I have gone out and met people in my constituency who are experiencing these problems. The people I spoke to gave me a different take from what my constituency colleague, Deputy Higgins, has presented. I will take the opportunity to read out extracts from some of their testimonies, as follows:

At night the bangers sounds like we live in a war-torn country... My curtains were burnt by fireworks because I sleep with the window open... It was 3 o'clock the other day when they started. I might have to close my shop earlier... I have a little son who is on the autism spectrum. Hearing is one of the things for him that is very heightened. He has an anxiety disorder as well, so things around noise and flashes and bangs really cause him anxiety. This causes sensory overload in my child. I have to hold him at night-time on my sofa while the bangs and noises outside are going on, and this is on a nightly basis... My dog has been frightened since July. I can't get him to walk in the park because he is that fearful... This is going on since the end of July and it is not even Hallowe'en yet. It is only going to get worse... I can't let my young fella play in our local playground... This is beyond crazy. Where are the guards?

These are just some of the things said by the many people who have got in touch with me.

I would hate anybody to think I am being overcritical of An Garda Síochána in this matter. That is not the case whatsoever. Community gardaí are not the heavy hand of the law. They are there to build relationships within communities. The gardaí know the community and people in the community know the gardaí. I have seen at first hand how well this is working in Ronanstown, Lucan, Clondalkin and Rathcoole. I commend the community gardaí in that station on doing the best they can, but they seem to be doing it with one hand tied behind their backs because of the lack of resources. The Minister mentioned figures. The figures I have in front in me are those I got in response to parliamentary questions I submitted to her Department. They show that since 2010, community garda numbers have dropped dramatically, with a 45% decrease in Dublin. Neither the Minister nor the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, mentioned the decision by the Garda Commissioner to prevent community gardaí from working after 7 p.m. It means that when all this activity is going on at night-time, there are no community gardaí around. This leaves our communities abandoned and the people who live there vulnerable and at the mercy of crime and antisocial behaviour. This decision must be reversed immediately and people must see gardaí back on the streets in their communities.

There was something the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, said which shows how out of touch the Government is with what is happening in communities. We have no community gardaí on patrol after 7 p.m., as I outlined. The Minister of State said:

What we cannot agree with is the suggestion that the Government and An Garda Síochána are not proactively addressing these issues. It is not correct to infer that the increased use of fireworks is as a result of lacking resources or action on the part of Garda authorities...

It is hard for the Garda authorities to act at night-time when there are no or very few community gardaí around. I invite the Minister to walk around Clondalkin, Lucan, Rathcoole, Saggart, Palmerstown, Brittas or anywhere else in my neighbourhood at night-time to see the reality of what is happening there.

I have changed what I was about to say. I will read out the motion and the Minister should feel free to stop me at any time if she disagrees with what we are putting forward. I would welcome that. We are calling on the Government to ensure that the frequency of Garda patrols in communities most affected by these actions is immediately increased and to commit to restoring the number of gardaí to 2010 levels by the end of 2021. We are calling on the Government to increase the recruitment of Garda civilian staff to help facilitate an increased Garda presence in our communities, which the Minister herself mentioned. We are also asking the Government to commit to a minimum recruitment of 800 gardaí per annum with priority deployment in the area of community safety. We are calling on the Government to immediately establish a joint task force between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI under Operation Tombola to proactively work to combat the distribution, sale and use of illegal fireworks, which the Minister also mentioned. We are also looking for the establishment of a confidential and dedicated telephone line to allow members of the public to report instances of the misuse of fireworks. We call on the Government to immediately roll out a public and school awareness campaign incorporating Dublin Fire Brigade and the Garda, including engagements with schools, communities and youth organisations. We are also asking the Government to commit to providing a report on Operation Tombola to the Houses of the Oireachtas before the end of the year, identifying areas for improvement in resourcing and making recommendations in that respect.

That is what our motion is calling for. I would like to know what in that text the Minister does not agree with. She can revert to me if she wants to. As I said, this is a common-sense motion. The communities that I, the Minister and all Members of the House represent want to see if Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party will take the common-sense approach and support this motion in its entirety without amending it or watering it down.

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