Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Many of my colleagues have touched on aspects of life in Dublin and the vibrant city that it is. Many have also expressed their pride in living in Dublin. Those of us from the country recognise that Dublin is our capital city and we are also proud of it. There is something to do and see in Dublin. The tremendous sense of community that is in many parts of the capital city was mentioned, but we all agree there is also an element of danger and antisocial behaviour, which is the core of the debate this evening.

Open drug-dealing and use has been a common sight in our city’s main thoroughfares and transport hubs. Unfortunately, people in addiction are often used by criminals in a most dangerous way. A person who works with people suffering from addiction told me that it is suicide in slow motion for many of them. If we see a person who is suicidal, we have great empathy for them and do everything to protect and help them in order to take them away from the edge of where they may be. Yet, what about when we see a person who is addicted to crack cocaine, or some other hard drug? These drugs are slowly taking their life away from them and we, as a society, have a responsibility to intervene in that regard.

There are significant problems with antisocial behaviour and violence. We must put proper resources into drug addiction and youth services, particularly in our capital city. Not only does it leave residents, workers, commuters and visitors fearful of being attacked, but this behaviour also causes reputational damage to our beautiful and historical capital city. There is a growing perception that public transport in not safe, both for passengers and staff, throughout Dublin. Much evidence has been provided in recent times by unions, on behalf of those working on trains, buses and trams, and by passengers who have been the victim of antisocial behaviour and violent criminal acts, for which there needs to be an intervention.

The negligence of the Government to resource An Garda Síochána properly to tackle these issues is a major concern we must recognise. Since 2018, we have seen a decrease in the number of gardaí deployed to the public order unit. While I accept that certain areas of Dublin have seen a small increase in Garda numbers, it simply is not keeping in line with population growth or crime figures. This is happening while a significant number of new Garda members leave the force every year. There is a clear retention and recruitment crisis in An Garda Síochána. While there was great fanfare that 10,000 people expressed an interest in joining the force, less than 200 people have gone through Templemore this year. The bottom line is that the number of gardaí on the streets is falling short.

The retention crisis has been caused by an abject failure of successive Governments to tackle the root causes of crime, antisocial behaviour, and drug use and addition seen across our city. According to the Central Statistics Office reported crime figures for the Dublin metropolitan region in the second quarter of 2021 and 2022, there was a 12.9% increase, or 819 additional reports of attempts or threats of murder, assault and harassment. This was in one 12-month period alone. That figure stands out as one of the real problems. It highlights the core of violent, drug-related crime that needs to be dealt with. The reports of theft in the Dublin metropolitan region increased by 5,572 cases in the same 12-month period.

I commend the work of An Garda Síochána throughout the capital as part of Operation Citizen and other similar operations, but gardaí are stretched to beyond their limits and additional resources need to be provided.

These operations need to be supported with ring-fenced funding to ensure they are continued for as long as is necessary. A focus is also needed on overt and covert policing methods to target criminal behaviour on the streets of Dublin.

We need a dedicated public transport police to address antisocial behaviour and criminal activity on our public transport and in transport hubs. A public transport police system has been called for by both the Opposition and backbench Members of the Government. It will be simply impossible to develop a public transport system that will replace cars on our streets if it is not safe for people. Every other country in Europe has a public transport police system, as do many across the world, and we simply have to deliver it here as well.

An Garda Síochána must be resourced adequately to increase rank-and-file numbers with a return to community policing, which is the model that has served communities well in the past. I have spoken to a number of victims of crime in recent months who also feel the sentences handed out by the courts may not fit the crime or the effect that crime has had on their lives. In order to support them, we need to move toward a judicial system that respects victims. A holistic programme of investment and measures such as these are what is required to target and deter the continued criminality communities experience in specific parts of our capital city. Government needs to put its money where its mouth is and correct the decades of underspend that has led to the issues which have seen our capital city in such disarray.

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