Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for this opportunity to raise this matter which relates to problems facing Caher outside Abbeyfeale, County Limerick, on which Deputy Deenihan, other elected representatives and I met with local people last night. I had previously met with the people from the area and this was a follow-up meeting to it. What has been happening there for the past 12 months in particular is nothing short of blatant intimidation and involves threats, abuse and criminal damage against a rural community that has never known anything like this in its lifetime. An indication of how bad the situation has become there is that there have been 47 reported incidents in the area in the past 12 months, whereas in the previous year there were three. This has come about because a criminal family has moved into the area and has been living there for more than 14 months. During that period houses and cars have been burnt, windows have been smashed, and people have been verbally abused and threatened blatantly and openly. As a result, people are afraid to confront these people or to make statements to the Garda. There is also the knock-on effect of the suspicion that may or may not be true that this criminal family is associated with one of the criminal drug gangs in Limerick city. That fear is palpable among the residents in the area.

The local superintendent, who was also present last night, confirmed everything that we were told regarding the number of incidents reported. He confirmed the increase in the Garda presence in the area was such that gardaí had been taken from another area in order to try to deal with this issue.

Two members of this family who are of school-going age apparently have not attended school. One of them has been barred from his own house. There is no parental control or accountability and there is no indication that this is about to come about. As was evident from last night's meeting we need a multiagency approach to deal with the problem. I hope the Minister of State and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will deal with the matter forthwith.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Like Deputy Ferris, I attended a meeting of residents, mostly from the townlands of Caherconnell, Caherhayes, Caherleen and Meenkilla, at the Fr. Casey's GAA club in Abbeyfeale yesterday evening. The residents expressed serious concern about the increasing level of crime in their community. Over the past eight months or so, 47 incidents emanating from this community have been reported to the Garda in Abbeyfeale. This spiralling wave of crime has coincided with the arrival of a family from another part of Limerick to the area. Prior to this family taking up residence in Caherconnell, there were very few if any incidents recorded for this neighbourhood. In the Abbeyfeale Garda district, headline crime has increased from approximately 70 incidents to 120 or almost 60% over the past year.

It was obvious that the people who were at the meeting are living in fear and are terrorised by the activity of this family. Many people either purchased or built houses in the area because of its tranquillity and picturesque and idyllic landscape. They saw it as an ideal and safe environment in which to raise their children with Meenkilla national school in the heart of the community. There are a number of elderly people living on their own in the area. They are prisoners in their own homes and are afraid to even open the door or leave their homes for any length of time in case that they would be burgled or, as happened recently, subject to arson attacks. Two houses and two cars have been subjected to such attacks in recent times.

The residents are most complimentary of the local gardaí in Abbeyfeale, who have been responsive at all times to callouts. However, they simply do not have enough manpower to police their area, never mind deal with this particular problem. The Abbeyfeale district has lost five permanent gardaí over the past year. Four gardaí in Abbeyfeale have retired and have not been permanently replaced, as has one in Tournafulla. Extra manpower has been provided on occasions, but this is not the same as having a permanent presence to monitor and police the perpetrators of this reign of terror on decent law-abiding people.

I am appealing to the Minister to fill these vacancies immediately so that order can be restored in this community and that people can live in peace and be afforded the protection they deserve from this family. I feel that the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Department of Education and Science have a role to play in ensuring that the law of the land is enforced in this case. Unless this problem is faced up to and resolved, other communities in west Limerick and north Kerry will be similarly affected.

There was complete agreement at the meeting between residents, politicians and the local superintendent that this problem must be faced up to now and cannot be allowed to escalate.

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputies for raising this matter of public duty on the Adjournment. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is unable to be present owing to other business, but I assure the Deputies that the Minister shares their concern about incidents of anti-social behaviour in the Abbeyfeale area and is conscious of how distressing such incidents are for the local community. The Minister has been informed by the Garda authorities that they are aware of difficulties being experienced by residents in the area. While certain crime categories, such as burglary, criminal damage and theft-related offence, show an increase recently, overall crime in the Newcastle West Garda district has reduced by 9% over the same period.

Investigations into several criminal incidents in the area have resulted in criminal proceedings being commenced against a number of persons, with three persons currently before the courts for a range of offences, including a number of incidents of arson. Other incidents currently under investigation include threats to witnesses and members of the Garda Síochána. Local Garda management has reallocated personnel within the Limerick division, with additional personnel allocated to Newcastle West district. The situation will continue to be closely monitored. Furthermore, the local superintendent has held meetings with local residents and public representatives to discuss issues of concern to them, most recently yesterday as the Deputies mentioned.

The number of attested gardaí has increased significantly in recent years, from 11,895 at the end of 2002, to 13,755 at the end of 2007 and to 14,478 in the most recent figures — an increase of 22% since 2002. Even in this year of budgetary constraints, the Minister expects some 900 gardaí to be attested. The most recent figures show that the personnel strength of the Limerick Garda division is 644, the strength of the Newcastle West Garda district is 45, and there are seven members based in Abbeyfeale. In addition, divisional resources are further augmented where necessary by a number of Garda national units such as the Garda traffic unit, the Garda national drugs unit, the Garda National Immigration Bureau and the Criminal Assets Bureau.

The Minister and the Garda Síochána are aware of the harm and distress anti-social behaviour causes communities. The Garda policing plan for 2009 reflects the priorities set for the force by the Minister and contains a series of measures aimed at reducing the impact of crime and criminal behaviour. One of the strategic goals identified in the plan is to reduce significantly the incidence of public disorder and anti-social behaviour in communities.

Strong provisions are already in place to combat anti-social behaviour. The Criminal Justice Act 2006 brought into force additional legislation to target public disorder and anti-social behaviour. In January 2007 behaviour warnings and civil orders were introduced for adults, and in March 2007 behaviour warnings, good behaviour contracts and behaviour orders were introduced for children.

The Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 increased the powers available to the Garda to tackle the misuse of alcohol. The Act places restrictions on the availability and visibility of alcohol and provides for more effective enforcement to deal with the consequences of alcohol abuse. Gardaí may seize any bottle or container from a person under the age of 18, and which a garda suspects contains alcohol to be consumed by a person under 18 in a public place. They may also seize bottles or containers containing alcohol where there is a reasonable apprehension of public disorder or damage to property and require a person to leave the place concerned in a peaceable and orderly manner. The Act also allows for the issue of fixed charge notices for the offences of intoxication in a public place and disorderly conduct in a public place, which are offences under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994.

I assure the House that both the Minister and the Garda authorities will continue to attach the highest priority to tackling anti-social behaviour, and the legislative provisions dealing with anti-social behaviour are kept under continuing review by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.