Dáil debates
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
Crime Prevention
9:22 am
Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Minister of State for attending, although he does not have responsibility for justice issues. I accept that occasionally happens during the Topical Issue Debate but I would nonetheless like a comprehensive response both from the Department of Justice and from him. I wish to discuss the increase in the number of assaults in Dublin, which is multifaceted, so his Department, which has responsibility for local government, comes into play, which I will come to in a moment.
The most recent assault in Dublin we all heard about was the vicious assault of Oleksandr Hrekov. Oleksandr is a member of the Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Theatre, which was invited here to take part in performances of Brian Friel's Translationsat the Abbey Theatre. It was successful, as it should have been, and very empowering for all those involved. Translationsis, of course, a story of endurance, perseverance and culture. Following one of the performances, Oleksandr and other members of the cast left the theatre and walked up the street. They were pursued and Oleksandr was asked for a cigarette and then assaulted with a broken bottle. The images that were released of Oleksandr's injuries would turn the stomach of anybody in that a person could be welcomed here from a war-torn country such as Ukraine for a cultural endeavour and then experience a vicious assault of that nature.
What those of us who live and work in this city could not step away from was the fact that, as disgusted and revolted as we were, we were not surprised. Violent assaults in Dublin have increased dramatically over recent years, with the number of assaults up by 60% in the south-central Garda division and the number of serious assaults up by 90%. We have a very serious problem in this city, and I love this city, which is why I am standing up for it here today. We need to get in front of this. Of course, a Garda response needs to take place, and there is an issue for the Minister of State's Department regarding how the city feels when you see the level of dereliction, the absence of street lighting, the shop vacancies and the fact that when it goes dark, you are better off taking yourself away from it because it is just not safe for many people. We need a collective response from the Government, local authorities, Garda members and health agencies. Dublin is a beautiful capital city full of all the glory I associate with it, including vibrancy and friendly people, but that falls away on certain streets around O'Connell Street and elsewhere in the city centre such as Temple Bar at night, when it becomes unsafe. I understand we can pull out statistics to say that, actually, the number of incidents has fallen, but anybody who works or lives in the city knows we have to do better.
I am interested in hearing the response of the Government. I raised the specific issue of Oleksandr Hrekov because it was stomach-churning, but it is reflected in a broader sense in other people's experiences. I have raised in the House on numerous occasions the issues relating to Dublin city. What is the response?
Has the Minister of State contacted the Garda Síochána? Will he engage with local authorities? I am interested in hearing his response.
9:32 am
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Gannon for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, today.
I join Deputy Gannon in condemning the despicable attack on Oleksandr Hrekov. The group was on a tour from Kyiv and had come over to do ten nights of Brian Friel's Translations. It was a very positive endeavour. Oleksandr has returned to Ukraine. I send our best wishes to him. It is something that is not reflective of what Irish society is about. I wish Oleksandr a speedy recovery, as does the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Government. We urge anyone who has information about this despicable act to contact An Garda Síochána.
Deputy Gannon will appreciate that while I cannot comment further on the incident as there is a Garda investigation ongoing, I want to emphasise that the Government is determined to tackle criminality and antisocial behaviour and is very conscious of the impact serious assaults can have on the quality of life for local communities, including in Dublin city centre. That applies to both people living there and to tourists and businesses. As Deputy Gannon outlined, Dublin is a hive of business and tourism, as are many other areas of the country. Equally, there is a strong community created by local residents. We want Dublin city to be a safe place for people to live, work in and visit. Dublin city is our capital and we are all very proud of it.
The Government is committed to taking action to tackle crime throughout our country. We are giving An Garda Síochána the tools and technology to fight crime in a digital era by rolling out improved CCTV and body-worn cameras. We are doubling the maximum sentence for assault causing harm to ten years. We are giving local people and local representatives a real say in how to make their communities safer through the new community safety partnerships. We are introducing the Garda powers Bill to modernise and update the powers available to An Garda Síochána. The Bill is currently being drafted. The Government is also investing significant resources into An Garda Síochána to provide for sustained and ongoing recruitment as well as investment in equipment and capital.
Deputy Gannon will appreciate that it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution and deployment of Garda resources. He shares the Government's commitment to building stronger, safer communities and ensuring our capital city is a safe and attractive place for everyone.
I am assured by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, that the distribution of gardaí is kept under review by the Garda authorities in light of any emerging crime trends or policing needs. An Garda Síochána maintains a proactive approach to policing the city centre to reduce crime and keep people safe. There are a number of important Garda operations in place in Dublin, but given the limited time I will not outline them all. I expect Deputy Gannon is aware of Operation Citizen, which commenced in 2021. It is delivering an enhanced policing presence in Dublin city centre. Members of the Garda mounted unit are involved as well. Operation Limmat is the Dublin metropolitan region's public order reduction strategy. Operation Saul is intended to further support and strengthen the strategic and operational objectives of Operation Citizen.
As Deputy Gannon is also aware, in addition to proactive policing operations in Dublin city centre, a new Garda station on O'Connell Street was opened in March this year, providing An Garda Síochána with a strategically located central hub on Dublin's main thoroughfare to enhance Garda visibility and engagement in the inner city. The new Garda station has a public office for members of the public to seek support and report crimes and to provide support to victims of crime. It also serves as a hub in which on-duty gardaí can report to directly.
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The Minister of State will get a chance to come back in.
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Gannon can read the rest of the reply. The points he makes are very consistent. I await further comments from him. I will respond to the points relating to local government in my next contribution.
Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response, which from the perspective of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, is quite comprehensive. I fully appreciate there are a number of different plans in place, including Operation Citizen.
The Minister of State mentioned that the Garda Commissioner states the distribution of gardaí is often considered and monitored. I vehemently argue that policing in an urban environment, in particular a city centre environment, is different from policing anywhere else in the country. There are very different needs and it requires very different skill sets. We need a consistent Garda presence in the city centre that is not going to be reallocated to other areas based on, for example, protests happening. Of course we need gardaí to manage them, but we need a consistent Garda presence in the city centre that is always there, without the number going up and down, because policing there is different.
I have seen that the Garda station on O'Connell Street is open but I do not think there has been a significant increase in gardaí on the street. There is a physical building there but locals have not seen a difference in that regard.
I want to ask the Minister of State about local authorities, in particular as they come under his remit. At times, Dublin is a dirty city. I do not know what the situation is in regard to street cleaning at the moment, but if you walk around the city centre on any given weekday, it does not look clean. Dereliction is a massive problem. The environment around Dublin presents itself as being hostile. In addition to dereliction, there is an absence of street lighting and vacancy. I do not want to present this picture of the city because I love this city and there is nowhere else in the world I would rather be, but we cannot step away from the fact we have problems. I believe a multifaceted approach is needed. Has the Minister of State called in the management of Dublin City Council and asked what is happening in Dublin? We all realise the city has gone into a decline. What has his engagement been with the local authority?
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I will feed back the points Deputy Gannon raises on policing to the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee.
I will make a couple of points on local government. All local authorities are responsible for the management of their areas. They are independent in terms of the area they look after. The reserved powers of councillors are hugely important as well. On the issue of dereliction, Deputy Gannon will appreciate there are Croí Cónaithe grants for individual properties but, more particularly, there is funding from the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, for each local authority.
I am relatively recently in this role, and I am going around to all the local authorities. My focus is specifically on dereliction, URDF funding, vacancy, and all the basic elements of improving the state of villages, towns and cities. I will follow up with the incoming manager in Dublin City Council and raise these points. Has Deputy Gannon raised the issue of street cleaning with Dublin City Council? If he wishes to write to me on those specific issues, I will take them up. I am systematically going around to all the local authorities, and I will make it a priority to visit Dublin City Council. Will Deputy Gannon tell me what the issues are now so that I can follow them up with immediate effect?