Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I add my voice to those of previous speakers who condemned the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell during a brutal shooting incident in Omagh last night. This was an attack on his community, on the people of Omagh and on peace. We cannot go back to the bad old days of violence. My thoughts and prayers are with Detective Chief Inspector Caldwell and his family and colleagues.

I welcome this debate. I will be supporting the Bill. It marks a new departure for policing in Ireland, giving effect to the recommendations made by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. It provides a comprehensive and robust framework of accountability, governance and oversight of policing and security, and a new approach to community safety. The Bill embeds a key principle from the commission’s report that preventing crime and harm and making our communities safer does not just rest with An Garda Síochána or with the Department of Justice. It will be most effectively achieved as a whole-of-government responsibility, with Departments and agencies, such as the Departments of Health and Social Protection, social services, education authorities, local authorities and the Garda, and the wider community working together to prioritise and support the overall objective of safer communities.

In line with this, the Bill will establish local community safety partnerships. These will develop local safety plans that are tailored to the priorities and needs identified by communities. The partnerships will provide a forum for State agencies and local community representatives to work together to draw up plans to improve community safety in their own areas. The Bill also strengthens the oversight and governance of An Garda Síochána and provides for the establishment of a new policing and community safety authority, incorporating its own inspection function. It provides for the complaints Ombudsman to be given greater independence and expand its remit, as well as a new role of independent examiner of security legislation to further strengthen independent review of security legislation and the delivery of security services.

Deputy Berry just raised the issue of national security, and I agree with him. There has to be a wider examination of that whole aspect from a national perspective. The Bill was subject to extensive engagement with stakeholders, including the Garda Commissioner, the policing oversight and complaints bodies, the Oireachtas and civil society.

I am a member of the joint policing committee, JPC, in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. The JPC provides a forum for the public to engage with senior gardaí on a regular basis about issues of concern to them and to highlight issues impacting their communities. It is hoped, though, the new local community safety partnerships will provide a forum for State agencies and local community representatives to work together, to listen, to prioritise and to act on those concerns. Having been on the drugs and alcohol task force previously, I raise the issue of the attendance of some of the State agencies. If an agency is assigned and required to attend, they should be in attendance on a regular basis. I compliment the senior gardaí within our district, as well as senior management within the councils, on the time they dedicate to this.

The partnerships will build on the structures of the JPCs, in order to develop and deliver a modern dynamic forum for the future. Local community gardaí provide an invaluable service to community across this House. We hear of that time and time again in this Chamber and elsewhere where people compliment the work of their local gardaí. On that point, it would be remiss of me not to single out a community garda in Dún Laoghaire, John Paul Durkan, who is set to retire in the next few weeks. Garda Durkan has worked with the local community in Dún Laoghaire for more than two decades, working with sports clubs, community groups, other organisations and community events. He, along with his community garda colleagues, is ever-present there to assist and support those community organisations. I pay tribute to him for his dedicated contribution to policing in the Dún Laoghaire area. I wish him and Dympna all the very best as they move on to the next phase of their lives.

The Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill is a significant piece of legislation. It will modernise and update current legislation. This is welcome, but we must also be conscious of the need to support gardaí with more than just legislation. Budgets need to be increased, equipment, transport and premises need to be modernised and gardaí must be given the tools they need to effectively police our communities. Earlier today, we spoke about housing and the need for bigger communities and more housing. This will obviously put more demands on gardaí, and we need a new station in Cherrywood.

I want to support Deputy McAuliffe in what he said about the need to ensure that Deputies and councillors have the opportunity to serve on those policing fora. I hope the Minister can provide those assurances in his reply, and I look forward to hearing about his plans in respect of that matter.

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