Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I fully agree with the Deputy that gardaí, and community gardaí in particular, are an integral part of the community, whether in a rural or urban setting. People feel safe and secure when they know they can pick up the telephone and contact a community garda. Engagement can take place at public meetings or by directly engaging with the garda on issues arising in the community. I recently attended the retirement function of a local Garda member who did exactly that type of work and was very well respected, known and loved within the community for that engagement over many years. People want that type of engagement. It is a key part of the new operating model and making sure everybody has access to the community member and local team.

There has been a roll-out of community policing teams across the country. While they are not as well populated as we would like at this time, they are being rolled out throughout the State. I can only point to my constituency, where a new community policing team has been put in place to cover a number of different towns in the south of the county. It has already made a major difference in people being able to pick up the telephone and communicate. The team members also support other Garda members in responding to their core duties. They have a dual function and role. As well as dealing directly with the community, they respond to crime and threats as they arise and support other gardaí in their roles, in the same way that other gardaí take on community policing roles as well as the dedicated duties to which they are assigned.

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