Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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There has been an ongoing campaign for a new Garda station in the Dublin 13 and 17 areas on the north side of Dublin. This is a hugely expanding area, where the population is greatly increasing. Projections indicate that there will be approximately 50,000 new residents in the area over the next number of years and in that context, community infrastructure is always going to be important. We were successful in getting a second level Educate Together school over the line through the community association in Clongriffin. My colleague, the Labour Party area representative, Shane Folan, has been campaigning for quite a while for a Garda station to be located in that area serving Dublin 13 and 17.

In June 2019 it was announced that the provision of a Garda station was going ahead and a site was proposed at a junction on the Malahide Road opposite the Hilton Hotel. Since then, we have had a number of delays and the pandemic has, understandably, focused attention elsewhere. However, at this stage, it is important for us to get an update. The assistant Garda commissioner said at the time that he was working towards opening a Garda station in the near future. This is important, not just because there have been ongoing issues in the wider region which have been brought to the attention of the Minister for Justice by me and others for quite a number of years but also because any new or expanding community needs basic community infrastructure. Communities need schools, libraries and all of the facilities available to every other community, and at the heart of that would be a Garda station. The site has been identified, the assistant Garda commissioner has said that he is working towards it and the Minister for Justice said the same in June 2019. We are now heading towards 2022 and I am seeking an update from the Government on the situation with regard to this Garda station which is much-needed in the communities of Dublin 13 and 17 and the wider region.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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On behalf of the Minister for Justice I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Deputy Ó Ríordáin will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. The allocation of Garda resources is made in light of identified operational demand and as such, the Minister for Justice has no direct role in the allocation of Garda resources.

However, I am advised that the Dublin metropolitan region north has, as of 30 November, the latest date for which figures are available, a strength of 780 Garda members of all ranks. This is an increase of 112 members, or 16.8%, since the start of 2015. The division is currently supported by 68 Garda staff, an increase of 30, or 78.9%, since the end of 2015. The area referenced in the question is covered by Coolock Garda station. As of 30 November, there were 118 gardaí assigned to Coolock station, an increase of 14.5% since the end of 2015, when 103 gardaí were assigned to that station. Gardaí in Coolock Garda station are supported by 14 Garda staff members.

Budget 2022 funding will include provision for the recruitment of up to 800 new Garda recruits and 400 Garda staff. This increase in the number of Garda members and staff will deliver significant growth in operational policing hours nationwide and improve services to the public generally. Undoubtedly, the visibility of policing in our communities makes each of us feel safer on a daily basis. However, in parallel, this Government continues to prioritise supporting community engagement and services. These are central tenets of the community safety policy being developed by the Department of Justice. The recent budget 2022 allocation of €2 million to the community safety innovation fund and €7.6 million in support of the youth justice strategy will support local communities now to provide for a better future.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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That is just not good enough. With the greatest of respect, nowhere in his answer has the Minister of State made any reference to the Garda station proposed by the assistant Garda commissioner and political representatives. To say that the Minister for Justice or her Department has no role in this area is flatly untrue. We all witnessed the debacle involving Stepaside Garda station when there was political involvement. Nowhere in his answer has the Minister of State given any update on the proposed Garda station which I understood to be well on the way to being opened at some stage in the future. The site has been identified and the Garda Commissioner is on board. Political representatives from the previous Government announced this station.

I came in here today with the greatest of goodwill and expected to get an update. That is all I asked for; I was not going to make a political charge. All I wanted to do was to outline my understanding of the situation and the process. I understand that because of Covid people may have been distracted for a while. That is understandable but I want to know where we are with regard to this Garda station. The Minister of State has just given me a list of numbers of Garda personnel. He has also said something that I have heard from previous Ministers, which is that it has nothing to do with the Government anyway, but it has.

Nowhere in the Minister of State's answer is there any reference to the proposed Garda station, and that is deeply frustrating and disappointing because, genuinely, when I put down the Topical Issue question, I was just expecting to get an update. I did not expect my question to be completely ignored. Where do we go from here? Are we going to get a Garda station or not? My understanding was we were and I wanted to get an update.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy. I understand his frustration. I am informed a new Garda building and refurbishment programme 2022 to 2027 is being developed by Garda Síochána estates in conjunction with the Office of Public Works, OPW, and officials from the Department of Justice. I further understand An Garda Síochána has had an exploratory discussion with Dublin City Council on the development of a new Garda station to service the greater Belmayne, Clongriffin, Coolock and Darndale areas of the north Dublin metropolitan region. I am also advised that discussions are ongoing with Dublin City Council about possibly making a site available to An Garda Síochána and the OPW for the construction of a new Garda station at Northern Cross.

I will speak to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, on the Deputy's behalf and I will ask for further information. As she says in her answer, these are matters for An Garda Síochána. These are operational matters for it to determine how its budget is spent. However, the Minister has committed to ongoing engagement with the Commissioner to find what can be done, and there is a statement there that the construction of a new Garda station in that area is actively being explored. It is under discussion with both Dublin City Council and the OPW. I am also happy to talk to my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, who has responsibility for the OPW, to seek an update from him on what progress is being made in that area.