Niall Blaney (Donegal North East, IND-FF)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The issue of increasing criminality in Donegal is continuously to the fore and it will not go away unless there is serious intervention from the Government. I witness many crime problems in my constituency in Donegal but, unfortunately, we are not being offered many solutions. With a large part of Donegal bordering Northern Ireland, we are subject to significant additional cross-Border crime. This creates its own problems as it lends itself very well to criminals returning across the Border after perpetrating a crime and, most likely, never getting caught. More effective cross-Border policing is a must to catch the perpetrators of crime. At a time when efforts are being made to re-establish the Assembly and its institutions, I have serious concerns about cross-Border co-operation and the relationship between the Garda in Donegal and its counterpart in Northern Ireland.

Local newspapers are filled constantly with stories of desecrated schools, private property, commercial premises and so on. One wonders where it will all end. We also experience the problems associated with over-consumption of alcohol and drugs, speeding and drink driving. The list is endless. I had a glance through a local newspaper this morning and it contained reports of cars stolen and damaged, a school broken into and windows smashed for the fifth night in a row, an attack on a young woman at the weekend, damage to a new football pitch caused by cars driving on its surface with one of the cars set alight, windows broken in commercial premises, houses broken into and contents stolen, and a malicious fire in another school. That is an incredible list of crimes in one local newspaper in a rural county such as Donegal.

Garda resources and manpower in Donegal is the major problem, particularly along the Border. The crime rate in the county will not reduce until a realistic allocation of Garda resources is provided. We are faced with more sophisticated crime and criminals nowadays and, therefore, we need equally sophisticated personnel and equipment to deal with them. Donegal is largely a rural county and if criminality cannot be controlled in our rural areas, we have little chance of controlling it in our larger cities.

I refer to an incident that happened on Easter Sunday morning involving Councillor Francis Conaghan, who is a former chairman of Donegal County Council. Both his vehicles were stolen that morning and they were used in several crimes. If the perpetrators had not been caught in the middle of one crime, God knows how many other crimes would have been committed. However, the perpetrators escaped and wrecked one of the councillor's cars while the other car was recovered with minor damage. The criminals' spree was stopped by a householder, not the gardaí, in Manorcunningham. When gardaí were called, it took them 40 minutes to respond and by that time the criminals were long gone. When they arrived, the gardaí did not have as much as a lamp to search around the house. That is why I began to question Garda resources. Many items were taken from the house, including a quantity of money. The perpetrators of the crime escaped back across the Border where they were caught by the PSNI. Thankfully, the PSNI were very co-operative with the two individuals involved in this case in Donegal and have been in contact with them many times. This has not been the case with our local gardaí.

These have been trying times for the Garda Síochána in Donegal. Morale among the gardaí there is at an all-time low and the current Minister will have to do something about it. He has not been in Donegal too often in recent years, but I invite him to come to Donegal and see at first hand the problems that exist. I want to see something done about criminality in Donegal. I want to see resources and morale sorted out in the force in Donegal.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank Deputy Blaney for raising this matter. The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of Garda resources, including personnel. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has been informed by the Garda authorities that the personnel strength of the Garda Síochána on 31 March 2006 was 12,439. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 on 30 June 1997 and represents an increase of 1,737, or 16.2%, in the personnel strength of the force during that period.

The number of gardaí stationed in the Donegal division in 2002 was 416, in 2003 it was 424, in 2004 it was 412, in 2005 it was 417 and on 31 March 2006 it was 433. The necessity for the large Garda presence in the border counties has significantly diminished since the Good Friday Agreement. However, there has been an increase in numbers in Donegal from 416 in 2002 to 433 on 31 March 2006. The divisional resources are further augmented by a number of Garda national units such as the Garda National Immigration Bureau, the Criminal Assets Bureau and other specialised units.

As part of the accelerated recruitment campaign to facilitate the record expansion of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members, 1,125 Garda recruits were inducted to the Garda College during 2005. The college will induct a further 1,100 recruits this year and again in 2007 by way of intakes to the Garda College of approximately 275 recruits every quarter. The first incremental increase of gardaí under the current programme of accelerated recruitment took place on 16 March, and an additional 21 gardaí were allocated to the Donegal division in conjunction with this incremental increase.

In response to the disturbing number of road fatalities in the Buncrana district, a Garda traffic corps unit was established in the district on a pilot basis with effect from 20 October 2005. The unit was in addition to the traffic corps personnel already operating in the Donegal division. An evaluation of this pilot programme has concluded and it has been decided that a dedicated traffic corps unit, with increased personnel, will be based in the Inishowen area. This unit will comprise one sergeant and eight gardaí. The visibility provided by the traffic corps unit has also had an influence on the reduction of certain crimes in the area such as burglary and public disorder.

A number of other initiatives have also taken place in the Donegal division. These include targeted co-ordinated patrolling of priority roads and junctions at prime times, high visibility checkpoints, which have resulted in a 25% increase in the detection of drivers under the influence of an intoxicant in 2006 to date, as well as the reconstitution of the Donegal road safety working group comprising representatives of the Garda Síochána, Donegal County Council, the Health Service Executive and the National Roads Authority.

Proposals have been made by the Garda Síochána to Donegal County Council in response to the fatal collision at Lisfannon on 18 February. Targeted education is an integral part of road traffic policing and a number of initiatives have been undertaken, including a local media campaign on traffic safety issues, a road safety programme in all primary and secondary schools in the Inishowen area, a driver improvement course in conjunction with the courts and ongoing liaison with driving instructors and the Institute of Advanced Motorists. In co-operation with Inishowen Rural Development Limited, the Garda is assessing the training needs of drivers in the area.

All Departments and agencies responsible for dealing with road safety related issues are very aware of the urgent necessity of bringing about a steady reduction in the numbers killed and seriously injured on our roads. Government policy in this area is set out in the Government's road safety strategy for the period 2004 to 2006. The strategy sets out an ambitious range of targets, actions and measures to be achieved.

Concern has been expressed about the adequacy of Garda cover on the Inishowen peninsula. Local Garda management states that there are two 24-hour Garda stations in the Inishowen peninsula based at Burnfoot and Buncrana. In addition, there are 24-hour mobile patrols provided by the divisional traffic and detective units. Garda management is examining the establishment of a rural community policing initiative in north Inishowen. The proposed administrative headquarters for this initiative is Carndonagh Garda station. It is anticipated that this initiative would also provide 24-hour cover for the north Inishowen area. I thank Deputy Blaney again for bringing this matter to the attention to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.