Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I represent the constituency of Dublin Fingal West, which is in the DMR north region. In that region from 2019 to 2024 we have seen a 21% increase in the possession of drugs for sale or supply. It is all very well to see the figure, but it means that in my community and the communities I represent people are subjected daily to the sight of open drug dealing. Nobody wants that on their doorstep and nobody deserves to have that on their doorstep, but it is becoming a feature. I represent one of the fastest-growing constituencies in this State. The men and women of An Garda Síochána are doing their best but they are dealing with underfunding, with the cuts and with the fact the Garda stations that were closed still have not been reopened. The population is growing but the number of gardaí is not keeping pace with that. Whether it is open drug dealing at the all-weather pitch in Balbriggan, cars being vandalised in Skerries, antisocial behaviour in Rush or theft from shops in Lusk, the plea from my community is the same, namely, we want a visible Garda presence on our streets and in our communities and estates. People deserve to feel safe and the people I represent deserve to feel safe.

In the few seconds I have remaining, I am going to raise a case I have raised in here on a number of occasions and, for the avoidance of any doubt, I will continue to raise it until there is a resolution. There is a young women who lives in my constituency. She was brutally and viciously assaulted by her partner.

Some 14 years ago, she went on the housing list in Dublin City Council. She has had to leave Dublin city. She lives in north County Dublin. She is now in danger - imagine saying this - of being offered a house because she has been on the housing list for so long. Members of An Garda Síochána have told her it will not be safe for her to return to Dublin city. She does not want to. Her children do not want to. She definitely cannot return there for her own safety, yet she finds herself in a situation whereby if she is given an offer of a house and refuses it she will be put off the list for a year – the Minister knows the drill. She has been put in an impossible situation. Gardaí have told her not to go back to Dublin city centre. She has submitted evidence from gardaí and letters from domestic violence groups to the council. She needs someone to take a decision to help. I ask the Minister to intervene.

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