Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Garda is in the grip of a staff retention crisis due to poor pay, poor pensions and poor working conditions. To make matters worse, the Minister for Justice and Commissioner Harris intend to impose roster changes that will result in the depletion of existing units such as the community policing units, task force units, drug units and district detective units in an attempt to fill a new unit come November and which will also force gardaí to work more days and more hours for no additional pay.

The reality is that no manpower is available. This is a completely retrograde step. Community policing is the cornerstone of Irish policing, and with the changes the Commissioner is bringing into force, there is little proactive policing being carried out. The proposed new operation will be to the detriment of Louth, which has the highest number of incidents and call-outs, as Drogheda and Dundalk are the State's largest towns.

There is a growing concern about the impact that the new Garda operation model will have on crime levels, especially when one considers that the gardaí are already swamped by the day-to-day workload. These new processes will ensure that Garda members spend less time on the beat and being proactive in preventing crime. Where is the benefit? What is going to happen if the ever-depleting backbone of the Garda dwindles even more? I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, to please ask the Taoiseach to intervene.

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