James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Richmond for raising this important matter. I assure the Deputy that the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and I are aware of the effects of antisocial behaviour on our communities. We are also both aware of the importance of high-visibility policing and know people feel safe when they see the presence of An Garda Síochána in our towns and cities. The Minister met senior members of An Garda Síochána in Dublin City, as recently as last week, to discuss the issue raised by the Deputy. She also met representatives of businesses in Dublin city centre, as well as local representatives, to hear their concerns. The Minister and I will be in regular contact with An Garda Síochána, as we progress through the autumn and winter, to ensure actions are taken and people feel safe, not only in Dublin city but in towns throughout Ireland.

I assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensuring more visibility in our communities. The Deputy will be aware that An Garda Síochána was provided with an unprecedented budget of €1.952 billion for 2021. This sustained level of investment is allowing ongoing recruitment of both members and staff to An Garda Síochána. As a result, there are now approximately 14,500 Garda members and more than 3,000 Garda staff.

The programme for Government and the Justice Plan 2021 contain a range of priority commitments and actions to support visible policing countrywide, chief of which is the implementation of the report on the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland through the Government's implementation plan, A Policing Service for our Future. The roll-out of the new Garda operating model under A Policing Service for our Future will deliver increased Garda visibility in communities, while facilitating a wider range of locally-delivered policing services underpinned by the redeployment of An Garda Síochána from non-core duties to front-line policing throughout the country.

Visible policing means safer communities that can feel supported in daily life. The benefits of effective Garda resources at community level can be felt by each and every one of us. Community safety is a cornerstone of An Garda Síochána’s transformation programme. Indeed, it has always been the primary focus of An Garda Síochána. This has been particularly evident during the Covid-19 period, when gardaí across the country consolidated their connection with local communities and were truly present during an unprecedented crisis.

Of course, keeping communities safe is not just about Garda numbers. The Government also recognises the need to strengthen and support community engagement services. This is central to comprehensive community safety policy, which is being developed by the Department of Justice. To this end, three pilot local community safety partnerships have been set up - one in Dublin's inner city, one in Longford and one in Waterford. These will run for the next two years ahead of a nationwide roll-out to all local authority areas. The new partnerships will bring together State agencies, including An Garda Síochána, local authorities, community groups and representatives to devise community safety plans that are tailored to the local needs of those communities.

The Deputy will appreciate that, by law, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. The allocation of Garda resources is made in light of the identified operational demand. This includes deployment of personnel among the various Garda divisions. Neither the Minister nor I have any direct role in the deployment of Garda resources.

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