Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Gannon for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, today.

I join Deputy Gannon in condemning the despicable attack on Oleksandr Hrekov. The group was on a tour from Kyiv and had come over to do ten nights of Brian Friel's Translations. It was a very positive endeavour. Oleksandr has returned to Ukraine. I send our best wishes to him. It is something that is not reflective of what Irish society is about. I wish Oleksandr a speedy recovery, as does the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Government. We urge anyone who has information about this despicable act to contact An Garda Síochána.

Deputy Gannon will appreciate that while I cannot comment further on the incident as there is a Garda investigation ongoing, I want to emphasise that the Government is determined to tackle criminality and antisocial behaviour and is very conscious of the impact serious assaults can have on the quality of life for local communities, including in Dublin city centre. That applies to both people living there and to tourists and businesses. As Deputy Gannon outlined, Dublin is a hive of business and tourism, as are many other areas of the country. Equally, there is a strong community created by local residents. We want Dublin city to be a safe place for people to live, work in and visit. Dublin city is our capital and we are all very proud of it.

The Government is committed to taking action to tackle crime throughout our country. We are giving An Garda Síochána the tools and technology to fight crime in a digital era by rolling out improved CCTV and body-worn cameras. We are doubling the maximum sentence for assault causing harm to ten years. We are giving local people and local representatives a real say in how to make their communities safer through the new community safety partnerships. We are introducing the Garda powers Bill to modernise and update the powers available to An Garda Síochána. The Bill is currently being drafted. The Government is also investing significant resources into An Garda Síochána to provide for sustained and ongoing recruitment as well as investment in equipment and capital.

Deputy Gannon will appreciate that it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution and deployment of Garda resources. He shares the Government's commitment to building stronger, safer communities and ensuring our capital city is a safe and attractive place for everyone.

I am assured by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, that the distribution of gardaí is kept under review by the Garda authorities in light of any emerging crime trends or policing needs. An Garda Síochána maintains a proactive approach to policing the city centre to reduce crime and keep people safe. There are a number of important Garda operations in place in Dublin, but given the limited time I will not outline them all. I expect Deputy Gannon is aware of Operation Citizen, which commenced in 2021. It is delivering an enhanced policing presence in Dublin city centre. Members of the Garda mounted unit are involved as well. Operation Limmat is the Dublin metropolitan region's public order reduction strategy. Operation Saul is intended to further support and strengthen the strategic and operational objectives of Operation Citizen.

As Deputy Gannon is also aware, in addition to proactive policing operations in Dublin city centre, a new Garda station on O'Connell Street was opened in March this year, providing An Garda Síochána with a strategically located central hub on Dublin's main thoroughfare to enhance Garda visibility and engagement in the inner city. The new Garda station has a public office for members of the public to seek support and report crimes and to provide support to victims of crime. It also serves as a hub in which on-duty gardaí can report to directly.

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