Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

Gabhaim buíochas don Seanadóir Bacik as a cuid ama a roinnt liom agus deis a thabhairt dom labhairt ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo.

We do not need more criminal legislation, rather what we need is effective redeployment of the Garda. A robust process of civilianisation would allow for more effective and focused use of existing resources, including a doubling of resources allocated to the national and local drug units.

There can be no doubt that increased gun crime here is directly linked to the increased prevalence of drugs in our communities. A cache of guns and ammunition accompanies every major shipment of drugs entering the country. Therefore, to seriously tackle gun crime, we also need to focus on tackling the drugs crisis.

Sinn Féin put forward a set of proposals to tackle serious drug and gun crime, which it submitted to the Garda and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The implementation of these proposals would result in the freeing up of approximately 4,000 gardaí from administrative tasks who could be redeployed in the fight against serious drug and gun crime. It must be demoralising for gardaí who are fully trained to fight crime to be stuck behind a desk. How many of them could be fighting drug and gun crime on our streets? How many more people have to be gunned down before the Minister acts?

Sinn Féin's recommendations on tackling serious drug and gun crime include the continued and increased pursuit of major drug traffickers and lower level dealers; a doubling of the resources allocated to the Garda drug units; the disbanding, retraining and deploying of the Garda special branch to focus on organised crime; and increasing garda patrols, on foot and bicycle, in areas experiencing chronic problems of public drug dealing. While areas throughout this State are plagued by drug dealing, violent attacks and anti-social behaviour, the Government has facilitated the regular deployment of up to 250 gardaí to police peaceful demonstrators in Ballinaboy, County Mayo. A staggering €8.1 million has been spent to date on Garda resources to police demonstrations against the unpopular Shell gas pipeline. These resources would be better deployed in the fight against serious drug and gun crime, which is claiming lives on our streets on an almost weekly basis. The Garda has become hired security for Shell with the taxpayer having to foot the bill while their own communities are being neglected. It is a great shame that this State does not protect its citizens like it protects the multinationals.

I reiterate Sinn Féin's call on the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to review the deployment of gardaí in Ballinaboy and to deploy Garda resources where they need to be put. There is no point in having extra gardaí unless they are deployed in the right areas. I ask the Minister to take on board our submission to tackle serious drug and gun crime.