Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The genesis of many of the issues we face today lay in the Fine Gael austerity years. Addressing issues like economic inequality and deprivation are the best proven methods to divert young people from crime. The truth of the matter is that we have yet to redress impacts and cuts to community projects and to youth projects from the time of the Fine Gael austerity years. Not only is this the case, in some crucial areas the situation is actually getting worse. Community gardaí are a vital of component. They establish and support community crime prevention measures. They are tasked with identifying and tackling the root causes of community issues. They patrol our local communities and are often accessible to the community.

I know from my experience as a public representative for the past 12 years that they are often my first port of call when I need to engage with the gardaí on a local matter. Crucially, in terms of youth diversion, it is community gardaí who are tasked with improving interaction, communication and community relations. In the Cavan, Monaghan and Louth region, in 2011 we had 41 community gardaí. By last year, this had decreased by more than one third to only 26. Figures understate this failure, given population growth over the intervening 13 years. In fact, what we see is that we have gone from one per 6,200 people to one in nearly 11,000, a 42% cut per capita. Our remaining community gardaí are expected to maintain the same output. That is a crucial reason we are having this debate today.

This is a legacy of the Minister's partners in government, and what I would like to hear about the plan to fix this from the Minister in his closing remarks. When will this be done? When will Cavan, Monaghan and Louth have the 45 community gardaí we would need to put us on at least an equal footing with where we were before the Minister's party ushered in the austerity years.

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