Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The devastation imposed by organised crime on the communities my colleagues and I represent has been painfully clear for years. Too many communities feel anxious, unsafe and abandoned as they face the terror, devastation and heartbreak that crime brings to their neighbourhoods. Criminals do not represent these hard-working, decent communities, such as those in Pearse Street, City Quay, Cuffe Street and so many more which contribute so much to Dublin life and are rightly appalled and horrified by these thugs. These communities deserve to feel safe and protected. They deserve to be able to walk around their neighbourhoods, send their children out to play and sleep soundly at home. Yet, when I talk to residents they tell me they feel trapped, forgotten about and abandoned by this Government.

Fine Gael has held responsibility for the Department of Justice for more than a decade and in this time, policing and community safety have hit rock bottom. Gardaí do an incredible job, working hard day in and day out to protect our communities. I commend their bravery and hard work as they serve on the front line day and night in often extremely challenging circumstances. However, they too feel abandoned by the Government. They are overworked, understaffed and struggling to do their jobs safely. They have seen first-hand how Fine Gael's failure to invest in An Garda Síochána has brought the service to its knees. Never have I witnessed morale so low among gardaí. They are resigning in record numbers and the Garda is struggling to recruit the new officers it needs. Gardaí feel unsafe at work. It is as simple as that. Morale is on the floor. They are denied the modern equipment they need to do their jobs. It is no wonder it is proving so hard to increase Garda numbers. The self-professed party of law and order, Fine Gael, has stripped An Garda Síochána through its failure to provide leadership. Fine Gael is soft on crime and decent, hard-working communities are forced to pay the price.

The Government must get to grips with organised crime. I see it in my constituency in Pearse Street. I heard previous Government speakers say there were loads of resources. The resources are not available. The local youth club that does fantastic work in Pearse Street has no own-door facility. It has to rent facilities it can use.

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