Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Is é seo an chéad uair domsa labhairt sa Dáil agus mar sin ba mhaith liom buíochas ó chroí a ghabhadh le mo chlann, leo siúd a thug tacaíocht dom agus le muintir Bhaile Átha Cliath thuaidh a chaith vótaí ar mo shon le scór bliana anuas. After 20 years representing Dublin’s northside at local level, it is a huge honour for me to have been elected to Dáil Éireann. Fíche bliain ag fás, as they say. I thank my family, supporters and the good people of Dublin Bay North for putting an engineer in the Dáil to represent them.

The programme for Government outlines an ambitious plan for delivery and decisive action for the coming years but none more so than in the area of safe and secure communities, with a commitment to fund the recruitment of at least 5,000 gardaí and staff over the next five years. Once we recruit them, we need a place to put them. This is why the new divisional headquarters for the Dublin metropolitan north division at Northern Cross will be so important. I hope the Minister of State will agree that nothing makes communities feel better and safer than Garda Síochána boots on the ground. Communities in Belmayne, Balgriffin and Clongriffin have had to deal with ongoing issues of antisocial behaviour and serious assaults by groups of teenagers at local DART stations. These issues were raised with me and other public representatives at a very well attended Belmayne community forum meeting. They were also reported in national media.

This area on the northside comprises a young, positive and proactive community. It is a growing catchment area for our city. People there will greatly welcome the delivery of a new Garda station, which will provide relief from capacity problems and problems with the ageing building that houses Coolock Garda station. I attended a recent meeting of my local joint policing committee. I understand that this project has progressed significantly in recent months and that plans for the transfer of a site for the station from Dublin City Council to the OPW are close to being finalised. This new station represents one of the most significant Garda capital projects in the national development plan. I look forward to the review of that. Opening this station will be a vital step towards addressing the scourge of antisocial behaviour and will deliver a very clear message that this Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities. I ask that the Government work with the Department of Justice, the OPW and An Garda Síochána to land this particular project and to make this new station a reality for northsiders.

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