Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The pandemic period was profoundly damaging to young people. They lost their ability to socialise for the guts of two years and they spent a prolonged period online, where many were attracted to bad actors. Social cohesion has been put under massive strain during and since the pandemic. Schoolteachers, principals and community leaders are all saying that. It is much more difficult now to engage with young people and for them to trust the State because there are so many bad actors, as I call them, online, who are telling them not to trust authority, that is, the State, politicians or any agencies, and certainly not the Garda. The human face of An Garda Síochána is more important than it ever has been. I accept there was a difficulty in training gardaí in Templemore during the pandemic. I impress on the Minister again that there is no more important role than that of community gardaí. Individual community gardaí will stop more crime and solve more problems at the community level than any other section of Garda Síochána. I know the Minister appreciates that.

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