John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, the Minister stated that he would listen carefully to what was said by Members in this House because they are on the ground experiencing all of what is happening in respect of crime and so on. I will take him at his word. To learn to improve the morale in An Garda Síochána, we need only go to John Barrett, who did a great service in exposing many controversies and scandals within the Garda, only to find himself booted out of the force and out of his job. I ask the Minister of State to reach out to him and listen to what he has to say. He should also talk to Maurice McCabe because we have learned nothing from that tribunal. We have learned absolutely nothing and have not put in the structures necessary to improve the Garda and give gardaí the scope to do their job. If the Minister of State wants further proof of the continuation of the abuse and blackguarding of gardaí who make complaints, the intimidation and, in some cases, the sexual abuse that goes on, he should listen to Lois West.

Deputy Alan Kelly, who had more time than I have, made a wonderful contribution in which he put before the House very many issues that the Minister of State should take note of. I ask him to examine the Shane O’Farrell case because within that case is everything that is wrong in the State, the Garda, the DPP and the courts system. This State beat up Shane O’Farrell’s family to hide the truth. That is what is happening. If the Minister of State is serious about that, he needs to start there. Then he needs to consider the contributions made by Members here.

In my constituency, which is no different from anywhere else, we have a drugs issue, a crisis, that is out of control. You can buy drugs on the street as easily as you can buy a pint of beer. You can sell drugs on the street and no one seems to bother or take action.

Extreme antisocial behaviour is ongoing in every single community and it is destroying communities. That behaviour, coupled with the violence and drugs, is simply causing serious problems for the young people in our country.

I ask the Minister of State to examine online crime and the fact that you can defame someone or a business online and get away with it. The Garda is ill equipped to deal with that issue.

Garda presence has been spoken about. In north and south Kilkenny, which are big rural areas, police stations have been closed. They need to be reopened and remanned. We need to have gardaí on the streets in the towns and villages to restore the confidence that people once enjoyed when they had a garda presence at that level. In cities like Kilkenny, where the numbers boom from time to time because of tourism, additional gardaí are needed during the tourism season. That requires a Commissioner to take the initiative, support the troops on the ground, the gardaí, and ensure communities are represented.

The new Garda structure, in line with that of the new local authorities, is not as good as the last one. There is not the same opportunity for input and you do not feel the same connection to the local gardaí. All of this feeds into the notion or feeling among the public that things are out of control to a degree in certain areas of our country and most parts of our cities and towns. If we do not deal with this now and have a modern, dynamic Garda force, we will pay a price in the future.

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