Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on what has become an issue of major public and community concern. There can be no doubt that we are witnessing a significant escalation in knife-related incidents and antisocial behaviour and, in many cases, a rapid deterioration of respect for the rule of law. If you talk to communities or retailers away from the glare of the public spotlight, they will tell you that preteens and young adults are engaging in dramatically high levels of unchecked intimidation, vandalism and petty crime, often with little Garda intervention due to age protections.

The reply to a recent parliamentary question I tabled indicated the number of Garda members assigned to my own county of Offaly rose by just five from the end of December 2021 up to 31 October 2024, from a low of 157 to 162. That increase was over the course of three years. It is not acceptable. Gardaí are stretched beyond reason, despite all the pledges from the Government regarding ramping up recruitment.

We cannot shy away from the need to put in place entirely new measures to record data on the level of crime being committed by those in the country illegally or without proper vetting. This is absolutely necessary. People simply have no confidence that the tens of thousands of people arriving here are being checked against criminal databases. Absolutely nobody should get a pass or free rein just because they have entered a country through the asylum process. I am again calling for robust and forensic levels of scrutiny to be applied to this issue.

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