Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the giving me the opportunity to raise with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the need for a Garda station in Donaghmede, in order to meet the policing needs of the people of Donaghmede, Clongriffin and the north fringe area.

The Donaghmede, Balgriffin and Clongriffin areas have seen a massive explosion in population, with an estimated 25,000 housing units built in the past few years. However, some residents do not feel fully safe because they do not have a local Garda station and a regular police presence on the ground. This forces residents to use the services of the nearest Garda station, which is located in Coolock. The resources of the Coolock Garda station are currently over-stretched, as it has not got the manpower to attend to the needs of the people of Clongriffin and Donaghmede. Constituents living in these areas have informed me that Garda patrols are a rarity. This is alarming as we are living in a society where criminals are on the streets. Just last week, an innocent person in Limerick was gunned down by a criminal. Deputy Charlie Flanagan recently pointed out that there have been 127 gangland murders in the last 11 years, with only 14 convictions. People are living in fear as these criminals walk the streets untouched. There is no deterrent against committing murder in this country because it is a known fact that life sentences in Ireland are far too lenient, with the average life sentence a mere 13 years. When in Government, Fine Gael will introduce a mandatory life sentence of 25 years.

In 2006 there were six murders in six months in the Donaghmede area, but thankfully the number of murders has dropped since then. The number of violent raids on businesses has increased this year and will keep increasing as unemployment continues to rise. In July there were two ATM robberies, one at the Bayside Shopping Centre and the other at an ATM on the Howth Road. There was also a botched raid on the Bank of Ireland premises on the Malahide Road in Northern Cross. In August, the Centra shop in Clongriffin was raided and shop workers were assaulted, leaving at least one staff member hospitalised with minor injuries. An armed robbery also took place at Kilbarrack post office. This is very frightening for local people.

The northern fringe is located in Dublin 13 between Donaghmede and Baldoyle. The population exploded during the housing boom. Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council granted planning permissions over a number of years. People were promised many facilities that would cater for their needs. Residents living in the area were promised a DART station years ago, and it is now not expected to be built until next year. Roads in the area are in a bad state and many of the housing estates built during the building boom are unfinished.

We in Fine Gael have campaigned for years for a Garda station to be built in Donaghmede in order to service the local people. A petition was signed by people in the area and delivered to the Minister before the last general election. We want to see a Garda station which will be manned by members of the public and not by gardaí, who we need to be out policing the streets. There is currently an unacceptable level of anti-social behaviour and traffic offences in the area, as a Garda presence is missing. The gardaí are working to the best of their ability, but local Garda stations at Howth, Raheeny and Coolock do not have enough staff. I hope the Minister will look into providing another Garda station, because people want to see such a building in the area, as it will reassure them that they are safe.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Unfortunately, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is unavailable, so I will take this Adjournment matter on his behalf. I have listened with great interest to what the Deputy had to say. I know the area quite well, and it was my understanding that Dublin City Council's north fringe area action plan was planning at its best. These housing estates, including those in Clongriffin, were very much part of an integrated planning process. I would be very disappointed to hear that the first real effort at integrated planning by Dublin City Council is not as successful as might have been expected.

In accordance with section 22 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, proposals on the opening and closing of Garda stations are a matter, in the first instance, for the Garda Commissioner in the context of the annual policing plans. There are currently no proposals for the opening of an additional Garda station in the area to which the Deputy refers. The Minister has been advised by the Garda authorities that local Garda management is satisfied that a full and comprehensive policing service is being delivered to the Donaghmede and Clongriffin area. The Garda authorities have also informed the Minister that, in their view, the opening of a new Garda station in the Donaghmede and Clongriffin areas would be incompatible with contemporary policing policy in the division. It is the view of the Garda authorities that this would result in valuable Garda resources being diverted from outdoor, operational policing to indoor administration duties.

The Donaghmede and Clongriffin areas are policed primarily from Coolock Garda station, which forms part of the Dublin metropolitan north division. The area is subject to regular patrols by uniformed and plain-clothes personnel, supplemented as necessary by personnel attached to the divisional and district detective unit, drugs unit, the divisional task force, the divisional traffic unit and the community policing unit, as well as the Garda mountain bike unit.

Significant additional personnel resources have been assigned to Coolock Garda station in recent years. The total personnel strength of Coolock Garda station as at 31 December 2002 was 84. On 30 September this year, the personnel strength of Coolock Garda station was 117. This represents an increase of 33, or almost 40%, in the number of personnel allocated to Coolock Garda station since 2002.

The Minister is assured by the Garda authorities that the situation concerning the policing needs of this area will be kept under review. When additional personnel next become available, the needs of Coolock Garda station and the Dublin metropolitan north division will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda stations throughout the country.

The Minister is also informed by the Garda authorities that a review of existing divisional boundaries within the Dublin metropolitan region will be conducted in 2009 with a view to aligning divisional and district boundaries with the four local authority areas. Any changes that may result from this review will take account of the local needs of residents in the areas concerned.

The Minister is also assured that Garda personnel assigned throughout the country, together with overall policing arrangements and operational strategy, are continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of Garda resources and that the best possible Garda service is provided to the public — an objective which he believes we would all support.