Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Fergus O'Dowd for again raising this matter. I condemn the violent loss of life that occurred on Monday last in Bettystown, County Meath. As Deputies will be aware, An Garda Síochána is conducting a full investigation into this matter and I am limited in what I can say about an operational matter. Deputy O'Dowd has been unstinting in his advocacy on this issue over a long number of months. I acknowledge his leadership in the area and I echo his appeal to anybody with any information on this matter to contact An Garda Síochána at the incident room in Ashbourne Garda station or the Garda confidential line I800 666 111.

More generally, I am aware of the concerns of the people in the area referred to by Deputy O'Dowd and of the constituents of County Louth, which is also the constituency of the Acting Chairman, Deputy Breathnach. I can assure the people of Drogheda and east Meath that neither the Government nor An Garda Síochána will permit a small number of individuals to continue to put local communities in fear for their safety.

The Taoiseach and I visited Drogheda over the summer and we were both very impressed by the robust response which has been put in place in the region by the Garda authorities under Operation Stratus, which consists of high visibility patrols and checkpoints, days of action, covert policing initiatives and the targeting of specific parties engaged in fued-related criminality. This operation, supported by divisional and district uniformed and plain-clothes personnel and, in particular, the roads policing unit, community engagement and public safety personnel, detective drugs and crime units, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and the emergency response unit. The Garda has made important progress in tackling the threat of organised crime and they work closely with colleagues in other jurisdictions in investigating the supply of drugs and guns.

I remind Deputies that co-operation with relevant agencies and intelligence-led policing is producing significant results in the fight against organised criminality in Drogheda and elsewhere. For example, last week gardaí attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Bureau intercepted a commercial haulage vehicle in Dundalk and recovered cannabis herb with an estimated value of €3.2 million, subject to analysis. Two men were arrested and investigations are continuing. Against this background, the Government has made unprecedented resources available to An Garda Síochána of €1.76 billion this year, plus €92 million in capital investment, which is a 50% increase in capital funding on the allocation for 2018. Provision for next year has increased to €1.882 billion, as well as capital investment of €116 million, which is a further 26% increase. As Garda numbers are increasing, we are on track to meet the Government's target of an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 by 2021.

I acknowledge the work of Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan and his team in Drogheda and Louth. An Garda Síochána has the full support of the Government in its ongoing work and we are providing record resources to enable it to perform its critical role in difficult and challenging circumstances, as outlined by Deputy Fergus O'Dowd. The purpose of this funding and the Government's support for police reform is to ensure the best possible policing services are provided across the country and, in the context of this debate, Drogheda and east Meath.

I again thank Deputy Fergus O'Dowd for raising this important issue this evening.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge what the Deputy said in respect of the administrative issue. I trust it is an operational issue that will be dealt with positively by An Garda Síochána. Over the past three years, and due to Government funding, the Garda strength in the northern region has increased to approximately 1,500. I take this opportunity to assure the Acting Chairman, Deputy Breathnach, and Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, who raised this issue, that this figure includes, for example, the 25 new Garda assigned to Drogheda in June by the Garda Commissioner. There are now more than 150 additional gardaí deployed in the northern region, as compared with the position two years ago. I trust that this will continue in the context of further gardaí coming on stream from Templemore over the next few weeks. I visited Drogheda and I met some of the 25 new gardaí. I have seen their enthusiasm, ambition and expertise and I acknowledge their work. They are supported by approximately 160 Garda staff in the region, which has increased by almost 35% over the past three years. The increase in Garda staff means that gardaí can be redeployed from administrative duties to operational policing duties where their experience can be utilised to best effect. Significant financial resources are being made available to An Garda Síochána. The efficient use of these resources, including the deployment of personnel, are matters which are, by law, for the Garda Commissioner. I fully support him and the wider management team in An Garda Síochána in their tireless efforts to keep our communities safe, in particular our communities in Drogheda and east Meath, as raised by Deputy O'Dowd. I assure the people of Drogheda and east Meath of the continued support of Government until the small number of people responsible for most unacceptable crimes are brought to book and taken out of business.