Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for attending, although he does not have responsibility for justice issues. I accept that occasionally happens during the Topical Issue Debate but I would nonetheless like a comprehensive response both from the Department of Justice and from him. I wish to discuss the increase in the number of assaults in Dublin, which is multifaceted, so his Department, which has responsibility for local government, comes into play, which I will come to in a moment.

The most recent assault in Dublin we all heard about was the vicious assault of Oleksandr Hrekov. Oleksandr is a member of the Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Theatre, which was invited here to take part in performances of Brian Friel's Translationsat the Abbey Theatre. It was successful, as it should have been, and very empowering for all those involved. Translationsis, of course, a story of endurance, perseverance and culture. Following one of the performances, Oleksandr and other members of the cast left the theatre and walked up the street. They were pursued and Oleksandr was asked for a cigarette and then assaulted with a broken bottle. The images that were released of Oleksandr's injuries would turn the stomach of anybody in that a person could be welcomed here from a war-torn country such as Ukraine for a cultural endeavour and then experience a vicious assault of that nature.

What those of us who live and work in this city could not step away from was the fact that, as disgusted and revolted as we were, we were not surprised. Violent assaults in Dublin have increased dramatically over recent years, with the number of assaults up by 60% in the south-central Garda division and the number of serious assaults up by 90%. We have a very serious problem in this city, and I love this city, which is why I am standing up for it here today. We need to get in front of this. Of course, a Garda response needs to take place, and there is an issue for the Minister of State's Department regarding how the city feels when you see the level of dereliction, the absence of street lighting, the shop vacancies and the fact that when it goes dark, you are better off taking yourself away from it because it is just not safe for many people. We need a collective response from the Government, local authorities, Garda members and health agencies. Dublin is a beautiful capital city full of all the glory I associate with it, including vibrancy and friendly people, but that falls away on certain streets around O'Connell Street and elsewhere in the city centre such as Temple Bar at night, when it becomes unsafe. I understand we can pull out statistics to say that, actually, the number of incidents has fallen, but anybody who works or lives in the city knows we have to do better.

I am interested in hearing the response of the Government. I raised the specific issue of Oleksandr Hrekov because it was stomach-churning, but it is reflected in a broader sense in other people's experiences. I have raised in the House on numerous occasions the issues relating to Dublin city. What is the response?

Has the Minister of State contacted the Garda Síochána? Will he engage with local authorities? I am interested in hearing his response.

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