Dáil debates

Wednesday, 17 October 2018

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions

Brexit Issues

10:40 am

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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3. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the additional resources his Department is providing for An Garda Síochána to prepare for a hard Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42665/18]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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None of us knows how Brexit is going to end up. In recent weeks, unfortunately, it appears that the prospect of a hard Brexit has increased. We heard yesterday that Mr. Donald Tusk appeared to be of that view. If it is the case that there will be a hard Brexit, An Garda Síochána, particularly along the Border, will require further resources. It is unpredictable for the force. What is the Government doing to provide greater resources for An Garda Síochána in order to prepare for a hard Brexit?

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, is co-ordinating what is a whole-of-government response to Brexit. In this capacity, he is working closely with all Ministers, including me, to address in a joined-up manner the many challenges Brexit will present. I emphasise that it is the Government’s firm intention that the same Border arrangements, as currently apply on the island of Ireland, will continue into the future. In its approach to the Brexit negotiations the Government has ensured protecting the gains of the peace process and the avoidance of a hard border is a high priority for Ireland, our partner member states in the European Union and the European Commission. An Garda Síochána operates within this policy framework. The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel. Garda management keeps the matter under active review in line with operational and security demands, including possible policing requirements post-Brexit.

A high-level management team in An Garda Síochána has been set up to prepare for any organisational challenges that may evolve in the context of Brexit and it is engaged on an ongoing basis with my Department. I and senior officials from my Department met the Garda Commissioner and his team to discuss Brexit contingency planning and I am assured that An Garda Síochána is preparing for Brexit with a wide-ranging focus to determine operational requirements, including personnel, infrastructure, training and technology, and will continue to progress its contingency preparations. An Garda Síochána is committed to ensuring the organisation is prepared for the associated policing implications and challenges that may arise therefrom. I assure the House that An Garda Síochána has the full support of the Government in dealing with the implications of Brexit and will provide whatever resources are required to keep our people and communities safe.

10:50 am

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Regrettably, we must now seriously prepare for the prospect of a hard Brexit on the island after next March. Hopefully, that will not happen but we must prepare for it. It is extremely worrying that senior members of An Garda Síochána seem to be in the dark on the planning for this prospect. Last week, we had Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn and Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality. Assistant Commissioner Finn told the committee that clarity was needed on Brexit. He said "getting some solid information" on how Brexit will work out was "the key factor we would all like to get some clarity on". Assistant Commissioner Leahy told the committee that the Garda was "waiting with bated breath" to see what impact Brexit would have on policing. We need to ensure that the Garda has further resources to deal with this. People will remember the foot and mouth scare a number of years ago when gardaí were required on every Border crossing. Hopefully, it will not come to that but I am concerned that the Government is not sufficiently prepared for the prospect of a hard border and it requires further resources being allocated to the Garda to deal with it.

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am both disappointed and concerned that despite intensive negotiations involving the EU and UK negotiating teams in recent days, it has not been possible to make the decisive progress that is urgently needed. I assure the House again that we are not contemplating a so-called hard border. Our resolve is to ensure that the invisible Border between North and South remains. As far as preparation for changes in the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union is concerned, our resolve and preparation were clearly demonstrated in last week's budget which saw the Garda budget increase by €110 million from €1.65 billion to €1.76 billion. This will provide the Garda Commissioner with the necessary resources in terms of recruitment, civilianisation and the capital allocations. In respect of preparation for Brexit, many workshops and presentations have taken place North and South and close co-operation between the Garda and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, PSNI, is under way to ensure that the adverse effects are mitigated.

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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My understanding is that the PSNI has recruited further officers specifically to deal with Brexit. I am concerned that we have not reached the same levels of preparation. Policing along the Border requires further resources, as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will know. Some 43% of stations within a ten mile radius of the Border have closed in recent years. There are, for example, 169 Border crossings in the Cavan and Monaghan division alone. We need to ensure that resources are available to deal with these prospects. Ballyshannon district, which is on the Border, has received no recruits since the moratorium and its traffic unit is down to only one patrol car. Buncrana district, which polices a number of busy Border crossings, has received only two trainees in total and that was only in recent weeks. We need to ensure that we are prepared. I heard the Taoiseach talking yesterday about further recruitment in other spheres to prepare for a hard Brexit but I did not hear him say anything about recruitment in An Garda Síochána and the further resources which we believe are required.

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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For the benefit of the House, I again refer to the increased budgetary allocation to enable the Garda recruitment drive to continue for next year, with up to 800 new recruits. Allowing for the retirement of approximately 300 gardaí, that will see a net intake of ambitious, energetic and highly qualified gardaí to the order of approximately 500. Deputy O'Callaghan was somewhat selective in the examples he gave to the House, which is no surprise. To acknowledge the new recruits in the Cavan and Monaghan division, from the most recent figures, as of 12 September 2018, there were four new recruits in Cavan and Monaghan, five in Donegal, four in Sligo and Leitrim and eight in Louth. These issues will continue to remain under review and active consideration by the Garda Commissioner who is primarily responsible for the effective and efficient use of the available resources, including proposals for the opening and closing of Garda stations along the Border in response to the various challenges that arise from time to time.