Paul Bradford (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after ??That??, and substitute the following:??? acknowledges the vital role of An Garda Síochána in providing security to the State and protection to the public;
? acknowledges the investment of ¤4m in the Garda fleet in 2012 which provided for the purchase of a total of 213 vehicles and the additional allocation of a dedicated ¤5m for the purchase of new Garda vehicles in 2013;
? recognises in particular the value of the recent significant reforms in An Garda Síochána in making more efficient use of resources and delivering a more effective policing service;
? recognises the importance of ensuring the continued capacity of An Garda Síochána to combat crime effectively and welcomes the Government?s commitment to maintain resources at the highest possible level;
? recognises the continued success of An Garda Síochána in tackling crime, reflected in the downward trend in most categories of crime;
? welcomes the continued impact Operation Fiacla is having in tackling burglary around the country, with the arrest of 3,538 persons and 1,924 persons charged between April and December 2012;
? supports in particular the measures being taken by An Garda Síochána to tackle organised and gangland crime, including extensive drug seizures and associated arrests, as well as ongoing operations to disrupt and prosecute criminal terrorists;
and
? resolves to continue to support An Garda Síochána in the prevention and detection of crime and the bringing of criminals to justice.??.

I welcome the Minister to a House. The Minister was with us earlier this afternoon when he had on his Minister for Defence hat. He was debating a matter relevant to the Second World War. In towns and villages across Europe and particularly across the United Kingdom, there are monuments and statues to the Second World War. Many of them carry the phrase "lest we forget".

Do my colleagues in opposition remember the state of this country two short years ago? I ask them lest they forget. The Government was collapsing and Ministers were resigning every second day. We did not know how long the Government or State would survive. Do my colleagues remember the state of the public finances? Do they remember when we did not know whether we could pay our gardaí? It was not a question of how many gardaí we should have. We did not know whether we could pay nurses and teachers.

We must be fair and put on the record that every decision the current Government is making has hanging over it the profound economic distress in which we still find ourselves. I hope that tonight we will see some light at the end of the long tunnel of darkness. However, let us not forget where we have come from. Thankfully, our State has survived as a result of the careful management of the Administration over the past two years. It is important to remember this. We must, therefore, take parts of the motion tabled by our friends in Fianna Fáil with a grain of salt. The party seems to want to rewrite history, if not write it out entirely. I am not one of those who always want to harp on about who did what, but we must be realistic. If the current Administration did not face the existing financial constraints, it would be possible for every Minister to proceed differently but we must live in the real economic world, in which we must realise there is still considerable economic mismanagement to correct. Until such time as that phase of correction is over, every Ministers' hands will be somewhat tied. Let us not forget that.

Consider the second amendment, tabled by colleagues in Sinn Féin. It notes the role of the Garda in providing security to the State and its people since its foundation. I welcome that new language from Sinn Féin but we should not forget that, until recent years, that party did not even recognise the State. With regret, I contend it showed scant regard for the Garda, the force of law and order. Recent conversions to democracy in support of the Garda must be taken with a grain of salt. I look forward to Sinn Féin co-operating to a much greater level with the forces of law and order on this island in years to come. That will be important. I welcome the journey Sinn Féin has travelled but take some of its sentiments rather lightly.

We all recognise that the gardaí have concerns, worries and questions. I look forward to some of the answers that the Minister will be able to provide tonight. It is important to recognise that rural communities want a policing service. We must tease out how that service can best be provided.

Society has changed, as has technology. Whether we like that or not, the day has long since passed when every village and small town had a Garda station. Some 25 or 30 years ago, we saw the first step in the change. Garda stations still existed in the towns and villages, but gardaí no longer lived in them, as had been the case previously. This change was followed by the closure of some of the Garda stations, which is now occurring again. A significant responsibility among the Minister's many responsibilities is to ensure that a suitable and significant policing service will be available throughout the country, including in towns, townlands and large and small cities.

It would be great if we could have a Garda station at every crossroads but that is simply not possible. Therefore, it is a question of how we use resources to ensure the service is sufficient. The Minister has expressed the view that the service will now be much more mobile. Instead of being almost locked in a Garda station, gardaí will be more mobile. They will be able to get out to the towns, villages and townlands much more regularly and at greater speed. I look forward to the Minister's comments on that.

Considerable desk work is still being done in Garda stations by gardaí whom we would be happier to see out on the streets and in the communities. This needs to be considered. Will the Minister update us on the Garda Reserve? This was an idea of the previous Government. It seemed good but I am not sure how well it has worked. Perhaps a little tweaking is required. There is no need for members of my party, in particular, to express our support for the Garda Síochána. Since the party founded the Garda, it will always stand by it. However, we need to send out a strong signal that the required resources will be provided and that the necessary changes to management structures, which may be required occasionally, will be made. Fearful residents of rural communities, particularly isolated ones, ought to be reassured by the new policing methods and by having a more visible Garda presence on the streets, highways and byways rather than simply having gardaí parked at a Garda station. I look forward to the Minister's comments. I am absolutely certain of his commitment to the Garda.

I express my sympathy with the family and colleagues of murdered Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. His colleagues have played a huge role in maintaining the security of the State.