Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The aims of this Bill are to introduce structural changes to provide more front-line gardaí. The plan is to increase Garda visibility and provide a wider range of policing services for local communities. In simple terms, this Bill aims to streamline services. Its objective is to facilitate the roll-out of the new Garda operating model as part of the overall reform of An Garda Síochána. It does nothing to increase the number of gardaí. It merely serves the purpose of altering how they carry out their work. We need deployment of additional gardaí. When speaking about additional gardaí, I speak about places like Roscrea and Templemore in County Tipperary. The stations there have been undermanned, which has created additional problems for the local community as a result of the lack of policing. I ask the Minister of State to speak to the Garda authorities about how this situation can be improved.

The reform of the Garda operating model is welcome. The review of any key service is essential. In cases where the need for improvement is identified, it is necessary to examine them and take appropriate actions to implement them. A review should and must provide an improvement in such an essential public service. Plans to centralise Garda call-outs must be closely examined and trialled and should not be introduced as a permanent change, as has happened unsuccessfully with the National Ambulance Service.

It is not clear in this Bill what the specific plan will be to address the Garda operating in rural areas. Garda stations across rural Ireland have been closed or downgraded in recent years to the detriment of the communities they served. These were not just stations in our small rural villages. They were stations that served busy rural towns where the permanent presence of gardaí is essential. The idea was to replace the stations with mobile policing of rural and isolated areas. The illusion was created that Garda patrol cars were touring areas on the lookout for suspicious activity. In some cases, the gardaí maintained a presence in the station, which usually included just one garda on phone duty. In the event of a call-out, this garda alerted the nearest 24-hour station or contacted the nearest patrol car that would provide assistance if and when it was able to reach the location. This type of policy was music to the ears of the organised criminal gangs, which saw easy pickings in rural towns and villages. It became easier for the criminals to monitor the movements of patrol cars and to calculate how long it took members of the Garda to respond to an incident. Rural areas very quickly became the favoured choice for house break-ins and opportunistic crime.

People in rural areas live in fear, particularly during wintertime. Their only peace of mind comes from community alerts whereby neighbours contact neighbours if anything of concern is noticed. These neighbourhood watch schemes are to be applauded and they have proven to be effective, but they do not replace the peace of mind that having a nearby Garda presence creates. It is no coincidence that there was a considerable fall in the number of reported incidents of a wide variety of offences during the pandemic lockdown. Travelling criminal gangs found it more difficult to get around due to the greatly increased number of Garda checkpoints, particularly in rural areas. In 2020, reported thefts fell by 24%, robberies fell by 23% and assaults and related offences also declined dramatically compared to rates in the previous year. However, as the economic impact of the pandemic bites, concern is growing that rural theft will again escalate significantly and people in rural Ireland will remain ill-equipped to protect themselves.

The ever-growing problem of drug abuse in rural Ireland is yet another stark reality of why gardaí are needed on the ground. Every town, village and crossroad in the country has witnessed a worrying increase in drug dealing and drug use, and the associated tragedies they bring. In my own constituency of Tipperary, at the start of the year, the superintendent in Clonmel - the largest town in our county - was forced to make the decision to temporarily dissolve his community police unit for six months to concentrate resources on targeting the sale and supply of drugs. Problems with drugs are replicated across all our towns and villages. Gardaí are needed on the ground to prevent, detect and, ultimately, help those who find themselves caught up in the dangerous world of drugs.

What is also not highlighted in this or any other Bill is the increasing disrespect and abuse members of the Garda face from members of the public. We ask a lot from the members of An Garda Síochána. They are required to be present at times of tragedy. We demand they keep us, our families, our possessions and the places we live safe.

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We ask them to work with communities to meet myriad needs and requests. We expect them to respond immediately when we fall victim to any form of crime. When they cannot live up to people's excessive expectations by being instantly available and solving whatever problem they may have, the public berates them. We complain about them, report them to their superiors and, in growing numbers, verbally and, on occasion, physically, assault them. Lack of respect for members of the Garda is growing. It grew exponentially throughout the pandemic lockdowns. Gardaí were physically and verbally attacked, taunted, threatened, undermined and sometimes ridiculed, all for simply doing their job.

On the other side of the coin, gardaí are subjected to more internal scrutiny within their workplace than ever before. It stands to reason that they must be held accountable for their actions. This is nothing more than the public expects and gardaí, in general, accept that. As things stand, however, there are no fewer than three agencies tasked with overseeing the work of the Garda. That will change when the policing, security and community safety Bill becomes law. It provides for the most extensive programme of Garda reform in decades, involving a total restructuring of the overseeing of the work of gardaí at all levels. The new policing and community safety authority, unlike its predecessors, will have the power to announce and conduct inspections. It will also have the power to conduct broad-ranging assessments of Garda performance. In theory, this is a welcome development; in practice, it will heap more pressure on the already stressed members of the Garda Síochána as they work to carry out their duties in the ever-changing society in which we live. Every aspect of their work will be microscopically scrutinised.

The Bill will go a stage further. It will bring into force a system under which it will be possible to take complaints from Garda members as well as members of the public. That is hugely important. Once a complaint is made by a garda, it will have to be fully investigated. Once the outcome is decided, the appropriate action will be taken. While the reasoning behind this may be understandable, that will not ease the anxiety it will cause for gardaí. They will constantly feel the need to be looking over their shoulder. A complaint, no matter the outcome, will never be forgotten and will leave the future career of the garda about whom the complaint was made in jeopardy.

Policing the police is necessary. That is an acknowledged fact that few would dispute. However, it must go hand in hand with providing a robust support system to ensure fairness. That system must protect the mental health and morale of those who have chosen to dedicate their lives to being members of An Garda Síochána. In this context, the 2018 Garda Representative Association well-being survey, and the analysis of its findings by the psychologist who carried out the survey among members at that time, makes for stark reading. The report stated that, based on the findings of the survey and given the prevailing institutional context of the organisation for rank-and-file members, it appears that An Garda Síochána is a cauldron for adversity in regard to trauma and well-being.

Gardaí perform a difficult public job. The intense scrutiny of their work by oversight bodies adds yet another layer of pressure to the burden. It is no surprise that the combination of those worries, the constant battering of their worthiness and the need to consistently prove their merit results in a lowering of Garda morale. Gardaí need a support system that focuses solely on their mental health and well-being and guarantees them the support they need when they need it. If the mental health of members of the force is not prioritised, every passing year will see Garda numbers depleted. As it stands, there are gardaí reaching retirement who are ticking off the days until they can leave the force. At the other end of the age spectrum, young gardaí are working for ridiculously low wages that go nowhere near compensating them for the work they are expected to carry out.

Our gardaí are a precious resource. They provide a vital service to the public that allows each of us to live with a sense of security that we often fail to recognise or appreciate. The health, well-being and morale of these individuals must be protected. Our security lies in their strength.

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