Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges that:

— it is 100 years since the foundation of An Garda Síochána;

— the mission of An Garda Síochána is "Keeping People Safe";

— An Garda Síochána play a crucial role in our communities, ensuring safety, maintaining law and order, upholding the principles of justice and fostering community well-being;

— through the promotion of crime prevention and visible policing the Gardaí foster a sense of security, especially among the most vulnerable in our communities;

— our communities rely on the Gardaí to respond to emergency calls, patrol our neighbourhoods, prevent and investigate crimes;

— their dedication, professionalism, and commitment to serving the community are invaluable in creating a safe and secure environment for all and deterring criminal activities; and

— to carry out their mission, the Gardaí must have the resources and leadership to do so;

recognises that:

— morale within the force is declining and is presently at an all-time low;

— members of the Garda Representative Association, which represents rank and file Gardaí, overwhelmingly voted no confidence in the force’s most senior officer, the Garda Commissioner, by 98.7 per cent;

— An Garda Síochána is experiencing significant recruitment and retention issues;

— as of July 2023, there were 13,717 members of An Garda Síochána, and this number has continuously declined since 2018;

— recent departures from Garda units through retirement and promotion are not being replaced, resulting in some regional and local units becoming unsustainable;

— members of An Garda Síochána have highlighted issues such as unfriendly family work practices, travel distances to work, rostering issues, and the lack of transfers;

— young members within the force are resigning due to low pay and untenable work patterns;

— the mandatory retirement age of 60 years is a drain on experience within An Garda Síochána;

— statistics from the Central Statistics Office show an increase in attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassment, robbery, theft and related offences in Quarter 1 2023 in comparison to the previous year; and

— the continuation of these issues within the force will have a detrimental impact on the whole of society; and

calls on the Government to:

— provide a mandatory custodial sentence for the criminal action of purposefully causing injury to a Garda;

— conduct an immediate review of the current Garda Síochána force with the engagement of all stakeholders, to be chaired by An Taoiseach and make recommendations within 12 weeks;

— increase the number of Gardaí in the State to 16,000 by 2028;

— ensure that there is a baseline per capita Garda figure in each county to ensure that certain areas in the State are not under policed;

— increase the number of Gardaí on the beat and the number of community Gardaí;

— review the areas where Garda stations have been closed and where Garda stations have become part-time to identify which locations need an increased Garda presence;

— amend the mandatory retirement age of 60 years;

— increase the entry level pay to 80 per cent of Garda pay, as the current remuneration rates are very low and many new recruits find it difficult to manage financially;

— abandon and cease the implementation of all previous rostering regimes until a review is completed;

— provide funding for additional and ongoing face-to-face psychological support for Gardaí after traumatic incidents or assaults;

— provide additional and ongoing further training and support; and

— provide additional resources and technologies in order for Gardaí to carry out their work safely.

I thank my colleagues for agreeing to move such an important motion. I also thank Cáit Nic Amhloibh, the Regional Group's administrator, for the excellent work she has done in putting it together. I welcome the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, to the Chamber. We appreciate her attendance.

It a matter of great concern that the Garda workforce is in decline rather than growing in numbers to meet the increasingly complex demands being put on the force. This has come about due to a combination of increasing numbers of resignations and age-related retirements along with a slower than predicted intake into the ranks through the Garda College. Recruitment is not keeping up with natural wastage or, more accurately, an accelerating reduction in numbers. Garda numbers have been falling month by month for a considerable period. The result is greater pressure on gardaí who continue to do their best to protect the citizens of the State in the face of huge challenges. It has contributed greatly to a crisis of low morale within the force. This is reflected in the recent overwhelming vote of no confidence in the Garda Commissioner by rank-and-file officers.

To take the Galway division as an example, the chief superintendent has stated he is dealing with a serious shortfall in manpower, to the extent that he is down 16 sergeants and 35 uniformed gardaí on what is required to properly police the Galway division. That is a shortfall of 51 in total at a time of enormous pressure on already stretched resources as a result of a well-publicised incident in Galway city in recent times, which every Member of the House will be well aware of. Salthill Garda station has seen its manpower levels fall from 61 at the end of 2017 to just 33 currently. This has prompted concerns that the station may be substantially downgraded. I am seeking a commitment from the Minister, the Government and the Garda Commissioner that it will not be further downgraded.

In the same period of less than six years, the combined number of gardaí of all ranks has dropped by 25% overall in the three city stations of Salthill, Mill Street and Murroe. This is a reduction of 70 personnel to today's total of 206. While there are other personnel based at the north-west regional headquarters in Murroe, these are largely involved in duties covering the huge Garda region, comprising ten counties in the west, north-west and Border areas. Elsewhere in the Galway division, we have seen a widespread drop in Garda manpower levels. Of the 40 stations operating in 2017, a total of 17 have seen a fall in numbers and numbers in a further 16 have remained at the same levels as they were six years ago. However, the vast majority of these are stations with a single garda in place. I am sure Galway is not an exception. There is a serious shortfall nationally that must be urgently addressed. Gardaí are under huge stress and pressure. If we do not give them the support they need, how can we expect them to maintain law and order generally, much less quell the kind of violence we have seen recently in Galway and Dublin city centres and other areas. Will the Minister give An Garda Síochána the support and resources it badly needs?

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