Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this opportunity although I share the frustration of the previous speakers that we are again having statements on this issue. We have had statements over and over and no progress has been made. On the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, I spent a short while on the justice committee and I had serious concerns about the Act. I put them aside because we were absolutely assured that community would form the major part of it and that we would have gardaí on the ground. That has not happened. It has not even been implemented, although we have been given a reason or two for that. It is worrying. I come from Galway and I believe there should be more gardaí in the city, although I acknowledge Deputy Coppinger's concerns about the interaction between gardaí on the ground and people from certain backgrounds. In theory, we all want to see more gardaí on the ground. I say that as someone whose introduction to the Garda was reading the O'Higgins report on Sergeant McCabe. That certainly opened my eyes to what was happening at a very high level in An Garda Síochána, which then filtered down. It is the same thing with the Morris tribunal, the Smithwick tribunal and others, the reports of which I read in my first few years in the Dáil. Notwithstanding that, it is a testament to the people of Ireland and the good gardaí on the ground that we actually want more of them. We feel safer having them but we have never got them.

Under the guise of community safety, we are talking about facial recognition. I absolutely tremble at the thought of this being pushed to make communities safer. In my experience in the Dáil, the ushers on the ground are absolutely fantastic in providing security by watching exactly what is happening in the Dáil. It is similar with gardaí on the ground who are part of the community. I do not like the word "embedded". A liaison or community garda whom you can call makes us all feel much safer. The Ceann Comhairle will know well that is being dismantled and is not to be seen on the ground despite all the wonderful words and that Act, which has not been implemented. All of the time, the push is towards technology to make us safer. It will not make us safer but it will certainly go a long way towards undermining social cohesion. We are going back to the Garda having enormous power, as it had in the past, and this power being unchecked, unsupervised and unmonitored. I say that with the greatest of respect for gardaí on the ground. I am asking for more gardaí on the ground. I believe they make us safer. However, I tremble at this technology and facial recognition. I note the concerns of human rights organisations that repeatedly go to great trouble to educate us in a very practical way. Here we are making more statements. I will go to Galway and watch out to see gardaí walking around or on bikes. I am thrilled when I do. That is one practical way to make words mean something.

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