Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State, Deputy McGinley, is always welcome to the House. He is someone for whom I have the utmost regard, but I want to know where the Minister, Deputy Shatter, is. It is disgraceful that he is not present to take this motion of no confidence in him. I listened to Senator Bradford's points with great interest. We did not table this motion lightly. We have not tabled such a motion often. I have debated justice issues with the Senator and the Minister as recently as a couple of weeks ago. I first raised the issue of the downgrading and closure of stations with the Minister nearly 18 months ago, at which point he gave me information that, to put it mildly, was not correct. It is outrageous that he cannot be bothered to be present today. This shows the disregard and arrogance that he displays towards the Garda Síochána, the Prison Service and the Defence Forces.

The situation with the Garda is unprecedented, in that practically every branch of the Garda Representative Association, GRA, and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, AGSI, has voted no confidence in the Minister. He will not defend or stand up for them and he will not give them the resources that they require to fight crime. Senator Bradford's figures were wholly incorrect, in that crime levels, including the number of burglaries, are increasing.

I will read into the record a couple of facts concerning R division, which covers the Dublin north metropolitan area of Coolock, Swords and Malahide Garda stations. I raised the matter with the Minister and wrote to him about it, but I have not received a response. For 4.5 hours on 10 February, not a single Garda car was available for an area of nearly 200,000 people. On 14 February, when a woman was mugged at knifepoint in Clarehall, Coolock, the only available Garda vehicle was a two-seater van. The gardaí could not bring her home and needed to give her money out of their own pockets to put her on the bus back to Swords. This is the type of policing to which I am referring. Since the station in Rush, County Dublin, closed, there have been four armed robberies in the town and a serious arson attempt against the church.

The Minister does not have my confidence, that of the majority of people in this country or that of the Garda, prison officers and the Defence Forces. He was a different animal while in opposition, when he stated that there should have been no reduction in Garda services. I remind those opposite that it was previous Governments that increased the number of gardaí to 14,000, their highest ever. The Minister stated that any reduction in numbers would directly affect the fight against crime. I agreed with him. Now, however, he continues to cut Garda numbers, he has closed more than 100 stations and he has downgraded 35 more.

I will provide an example of what a downgrade means. The Minister lied to the people when he claimed that station downgrades and closures would lead to what he called "smart policing". There is nothing smart about the policing policy that he and his officials are following. When Malahide station closes at 9 p.m., for example, anyone who rings it is diverted to Coolock, the gardaí on the beat must take their orders from people in a station in Coolock 12 miles away, their prisoners cannot be detained and the only car in use is taken out of service for nearly two hours because prisoners must be transferred.

The Minister told me his belief that gardaí in stations were sitting around doing nothing. That is not true. He told me that they would now be out on the beat. Gardaí are left in stations because those buildings house firearms and evidence, yet most do not even have alarms. This is the case in Malahide. Consider the R division as an example of what the Minister means by "smart policing".

Of more concern is the fact that our citizens do not feel safe. When we discuss the matter with constituents or colleagues, not one of those people welcomes the closure of Garda stations. Even with the new announcement of additional cars, we are 350 cars down on the 2009 level. We are also 140 stations and nearly 2,000 gardaí down. Gardaí are doing their best every day of the week to try to fight crime and protect citizens without the support of the Minister. I do not say this lightly, but it is conclusion the conclusion I have reached.

The Minister is the wrong person for the job. He is not up to it. He has not even attended for a motion of no confidence to stand up for himself. This is the type of attitude that he has shown rank and file gardaí, prison officers and the Defence Forces. We know what the 24/7 Frontline Services Alliance and others on the front line are telling the Government. As individuals, we all respect the work that they do. Gardaí, firefighters and nurses put their lives on the line to keep us safe. The Government has applied an 8% cut to them in Croke Park II, yet it has only tinkered around the edges where people earning more than ¤100,000 are concerned. Fine Gael has done this.

Senator Bradford asked about where the money would come from to prevent the cuts. Perhaps the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, would not get a stroke of an extension to his hospital in Kilkenny. Perhaps the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, would not have Wexford hospital fast-tracked just because he sat at the Cabinet table with the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Reilly, would not decide to build whatever primary care centres he deemed politically expedient.

People want their front-line services, including their gardaí, supported. The Garda is not being supported by the Government, as has been shown day in, day out by what we read in newspapers and hear from constituents. The Minister, Deputy Shatter, is a disgrace, should step down and should be replaced. I do not table a no confidence motion in any Minister lightly, but I stand over such a motion in respect of the Minister, who is not even present to answer for himself.