Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Ní bheidh mé ag tógáil an ama go léir. Tá áthas orm labhairt ar an mBille seo inniu.

All of us will have received the assessment of the Bill's strengths and weaknesses from GSOC. I hope the analysis will inform the debate and the Government's approach to any amendments that may be made to this important Bill. GSOC has stated that its primary concern is that the draft legislation has not fully embraced the principle of institutional independence that should underpin an ombudsman's office. GSOC is further concerned that this Bill still imposes a degree of ministerial and occasionally Garda involvement in the governance and operations of the police ombudsman. That is not consistent with the independence envisaged in the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing. That is a key issue. I accept there must be some interaction and involvement between the Department of Justice, the Government and GSOC but if we are to have an office of ombudsman or civilian oversight of An Garda Síochána, let us have one that can do its job in the most effective way possible.

I will focus on the issue of community safety, which is a growing concern for many people. Antisocial behaviour is at all-time record levels. Drug use and intimidation are rampant in some communities. The elderly feel exposed and terrified. Farmers in isolated areas feel threatened by the lack of local gardaí or a strong Garda presence. I welcome the reopening of Garda stations in my constituency such as in Rhode and Daingean, County Offaly. That is positive news, but a stronger Garda presence and an increase in the operational hours of Garda stations must be prioritised in rural towns and villages in my constituency such as Kilcormac, Clonaslee, Mountmellick and Kinnitty where there are growing populations. This issue must be addressed and can only be addressed if An Garda Síochána is given sufficient resources. I am aware it is quite stretched at present when trying to cover rural areas. However, it must happen. It must be looked at. Where we have growing populations, we must see increased operational hours of Garda stations and, as I mentioned earlier, a much stronger Garda presence.

I am aware that section 106 of this Bill deals with a national strategy for improving community safety. Section 106(4) provides:

The Minister shall, [in] the preparation ... of a national strategy ... consult ... with— (a) the Authority, and

(b) such persons or groups representing community interests as he or she considers appropriate.

I hope this will include the widest degree possible of varying viewpoints which should all be respected. We have seen in recent months how quick the Government has been to demonise groups such as those in East Wall and other protesters who have concerns around safety. We know from the Minister's Department's briefing paper on community safety that local community safety partnership, LCSPs, will bring all services and the community together at local authority level, replacing the existing joint policing committees, to serve as a forum for discussion and decision making on community priorities. As I understand it, it is intended that membership of the LCSPs will include residents; community representatives, including representatives of youth, new communities and the voluntary sector; businesses and education representatives; relevant public services in the area, including the HSE, Tusla and An Garda Síochána; and the local authority and local county councillors. I have some concerns that such a forum might be overly complex and subject to institutional dominance by agencies such as the HSE and An Garda Síochána.

I accept that residents will be central and it is only right that they be there to identify problems and solutions for the their communities. The new partnerships will have a 51%:49% split in favour of local residents and community representatives on the committee. I hope that balance can be maintained and, more importantly, that the views of locals are prioritised and not simply listened to and dismissed. Any forum that is set up must have a meaningful impact on rural communities and constituencies. It must take on board the concerns of those communities and more importantly, it must act on those concerns. Speaking from my experience of my constituency in Laois-Offaly, I know there are many concerns and there is a need for a stronger Garda presence. I hope the policing model which has been referred to many times in this House will be fully implemented. We are not seeing it enacted in full force. I certainly hope that resources will be put in place to allow that community policing model to take effect as I believe it would be effective and helpful in rural constituencies such as my constituency of Laois-Offaly.

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