Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to reflect on the new operating model for An Garda Síochána, which the Taoiseach correctly said is designed to provide more visibility and a more responsive and localised policing service to communities. This is not the reality on the ground and certainly not in the constituency I represent. The reality is that there is a lack of Garda presence, especially in the evening and at night. There is no community garda available after 7 p.m. This is an operational and resource issue. There is still a lack of personnel in the system. There is also the fact that anti-social behaviour has increased over recent months. Granted, it has been a problem for some time, but in the course of the Covid emergency, reports of anti-social behaviour in some areas have skyrocketed. Call-outs can often take hours because there is a lack of Garda cars. In my home neighbourhood of Cabra, the Garda station closes at 9 p.m. and it appears there is no prospect of that decision being reversed.

What are the measurement criteria used by the implementation office in its appraisal of progress, or lack of progress, in policing reform plans?

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