Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Any discussion about community safety, crime or youth diversion must take into account the wider context of the absolute failure - let us call it what it is - of the Government to adequately resource public services within communities all across the State. There is the failure to invest adequately in community infrastructure, social and outreach services, drugs and alcohol strategies, youth justice and diversion programmes and An Garda Síochána.

Garda stations have been closed right across rural Ireland during the past decade or more and those that have survived are often left without enough personnel in them. They are left empty for most of the time if we are being honest. Garda visibility is at an all-time low. This is right across the State but is particularly pronounced in rural Ireland and in particular in my own area in west Waterford. I see it all of the time. That puts huge pressure, not just on members of An Garda Síochána but on communities as well. It is adding to the sense that communities are no longer totally safe. This can be clearly seen on the ground in west Waterford in towns such as Lismore but also many other towns and villages across County Waterford where there is just not that availability of Garda personnel.

We cannot separate the issue of young people becoming involved in criminality from the abject failure of the Government to address inequality and deprivation. Our communities have yet to recover from the austerity era and a number of Teachtaí have mentioned that. We have consistently advocated for early intervention for community-based approaches to divert young people from criminal activity, support for young people to keep them out of detention and support for those being released from detention as well. We need to ensure the social services, youth services and community infrastructure are there. We do not have a family resource centre in my own town of Dungarvan. It is a town of well over 10,000 people and one of the only towns of its size in the State that does not have a family resource centre. These basic building blocks of community infrastructure are missing in so many communities up and down this State. That is where this problem begins and this is where it must end.

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