John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support a robust Garda response to crime. I support dedicated transport police on our public transport to police it and especially in my constituency of Dublin South-West to police public transport modes like the Luas red line. I support facial recognition technology.

I support a ban on masks at public protests. I support the confiscation and destruction of scrambler and quad bikes and scooters, including e-scooters, when they are used to engage in antisocial behaviour and reckless endangerment of people and to carry drugs.

I echo a previous speaker, Deputy John McGuinness, regarding the Shane O'Farrell case, which I have followed closely as an Opposition and Government TD, and how the institutions of State can still connive to thwart justice. As the Minister knows, young gardaí are rightly frustrated by the bureaucracy and oversight they face in terms of GSOC and other oversight bodies. These are necessary and did not arise out of a vacuum. They arose because of chronic abuses in the force historically, and that is why they are needed. Regrettably, abuses are still taking place in the force by a small minority. Regrettably, power and seniority within the Garda force is used to thwart whistleblowers. The vast majority of gardaí are exemplary professionals doing a very tough and worthwhile job.

There is increasing evidence that, in terms of law and order, menacing antisocial behaviour and petty crime is going unreported because gardaí lack the resources and numbers to deal with such offences. That is probably the biggest challenge the Government faces. Our beautiful city of Dublin needs vital resuscitation, and additional resources for gardaí are a key part of ensuring city life in Dublin is resuscitated and revitalised.

I want to highlight the issue of social media in regard to catfishing. One of our colleagues in Fianna Fáil, former Senator Lisa Chambers, introduced a landmark Bill in Seanad Éireann aimed at tackling the harmful practice of catfishing. The proposed legislation would make it a criminal offence to engage in catfishing and would empower gardaí to act and provide crucial recourse for victims. There have been some notable high-profile media examples of catfishing occurring in recent times.

There is a danger at the moment because recent content policy announcements from Meta essentially mean there will be less moderation of what is happening online. That poses a great threat to vulnerable people and communities. Harmful online behaviour, including, as I have stated, catfishing, risks becoming even more widespread in Ireland. Now, more than ever, we need to prioritise online safety and ensure our laws can face evolving digital threats while balancing privacy and free expression rights.

Gaps in the law at the moment leave victims vulnerable. Catfishing is a particular example of that. Gaps in the law also impede gardaí in their ability to respond effectively. I know the Minister and Government are committed to strengthening online safety laws and I ask the Minister to prioritise that.

I congratulate the Minister of State on his appointment at the Department of Justice and my colleague, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, on his appointment as Minister for Justice. The Minister has made a strong and robust start in his tenure and he enjoys the support of the House.

I also know that the Ministers will shortly incorporate the migration piece into their portfolios. I ask that we continue where the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, has started, namely, with a fair but firm and robust response to the issue of those seeking asylum and international protection. Those who are entitled to do so should be granted all of the support of the State in doing so. We need to consider the number of countries we still regard as safe, because countries like Denmark, Holland and others designate far more countries as safe than we do, meaning that citizens of those countries cannot seek international protection in Ireland.

I was lucky today. One of my colleagues did not show up, so we got some additional time.

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