Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have had the privilege of working with some of the finest gardaí in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny in recent years as mayor of Kilkenny and chairman of Kilkenny County Council. My priority is that everyone has the right to feel safe and be safe in their community and home. Across the country, communities are dealing with the scourge of crime and antisocial behaviour. We need to build stronger, safer communities by strengthening An Garda Síochána, expanding resources and modernising support to tackle crime.

At present, there are 14,100 members of An Garda Síochána. It is simply not enough for a country of our size. There are only 312 in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny, which is a 10% decrease in the past four years. This decrease has to stop. The programme for Government commits to providing funding for at least 5,000 Garda recruits in the next five years. These are badly needed in towns like Graiguenamanagh, Callan, Thomastown, Mullinavat, Mooncoin and Castlecomer. Lack of Garda resources is a huge issue.

The primary focus has to be to allow Garda to become more visible in our communities. They have to be visible on the beat and that is not felt in rural Ireland at the moment, including the constituency I represent. According to an Irish Examiner-Ipsos poll published recently, 70% of people living in rural Ireland do not believe there is a visible Garda presence in their area. Members of the public believe - and they are right - that improved visibility can deter crime.

We have all these recruits coming out and I urge the Minister to make sure these recruits do not just stay in Dublin city. It is important that the city be looked after, but not by forgetting rural towns and villages around the country. We need to continue supporting our community alert and text alert schemes throughout the country and make necessary funding available. I have first-hand experience, having been chairman of my own text alert scheme, but the likes of Rosbercon, Glenmore, Goresbridge, Paulstown, Ballinkillen, Borris and St. Mullins, which the Ceann Comhairle is familiar with, worked at these text alert groups, and it was fantastic. They need to be supported.

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