Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Dublin is a great city. Our people, history and rich culture make it a great place to live. Everyone has a right to feel safe. Every community should be a safe and welcoming place in which to live, work and visit, but unfortunately not everyone feels safe here in Dublin. Every community is different but the challenges are the same. The lack of a visible, accessible, reliable and accountable Garda service has created a sense of fear and desperation in many homes and communities across Dublin. The lack of investment, cuts to essential services, and poor planning, transport and infrastructure all contribute to making neighbourhoods unsafe for residents. Of course, it is not true in all areas of Dublin. These challenges are the preserve of certain postcodes. Some communities have suffered for years from neglect and marginalisation, brought about and made worse by consecutive Governments imposing cuts from which they have never recovered. Youth services, mental health services, addiction services and drug task forces – I can go on and on – have all borne the brunt of Government cuts. These cuts hurt and cause damage. If we are to create safe communities, the Government must commit to investing in these essential services, not in a piecemeal fashion but through multi-annual budgets that are adequate and sustainable.

I fully acknowledge that we cannot simply police our way into safety, but the Garda must be a central part of any community safety plan. Garda numbers in Dublin have yet to return to pre-austerity numbers. The programme for Government commits to recruiting 5,000 additional gardaí. This is welcome but where is the plan to retain the current number? Gardaí are voting with their feet. We are haemorrhaging gardaí to the private sector and emigration. Pay, conditions and morale have to be addressed as a matter of urgency by the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan.

In my constituency, Dublin Fingal East, Swords needs a Garda station that is fit for purpose. The current station is there since Swords was a village, not a town. Swords station serves a population of over 50,000. The gardaí provide an excellent service, which I know from experience, but the station is simply not fit for purpose. The public and gardaí deserve better. We deserve a new, fully functional Garda station that meets the needs of our community.

See this speech in context