Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá céad fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Táimid ag plé rúin atá iontach tábhachtach agus dáiríre. Is é an trua go bhfuilimid gafa i muinín na geamaireachta anseo inniu idir an Rialtas agus an Fhreasúra, idir Fhianna Fáil agus Fine Gael, ar an gceist seo mar is ceist iontach dáiríre í.

We support the motion of no confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality. I agree with the sentiment expressed but I am a tad bemused by Fianna Fáil's approach. This party is, I understand, attempting to rebrand itself as the party of responsible opposition as it is so fond of telling us. If only it had been more responsible when it was in government. This is the responsible party that signed up to a property tax while in government in the programme for national recovery but opposes it in opposition; the responsible party, which signed up for water charges in the same programme but now opposes them in opposition; the responsible party, which created a mess through its failure to act on European directives on ground water and made hay by opposing septic tank charges; and the responsible party, which having closed many Garda stations, cut Garda numbers and closed Army barracks, has tabled a motion of no confidence in the Minister.

There was a commitment in the 2010 national recovery plan agreed between the Fianna Fáil-Green Party coalition and the troika to cut Garda numbers from 14,500 that year to 13,500 the following year and to 13,000 in 2014, a total reduction of 10%. There were also to be substantial reductions in closing times and closures of Garda stations in that time. By November 2008, almost half of all the Garda stations in counties Cork, Kerry, Clare, Galway and Roscommon had been reduced to one garda operating on a part-time basis. In many of those cases, Garda stations were closed on Sundays and opening hours during the week were limited to between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. We are quite used to generations of Fianna Fáil brass neck but it is a novelty to have it described as "responsible opposition".

We do not have confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality. His entire approach to community safety and his lack of concern for rural communities, in particular, and many disadvantaged urban communities, have led us to the conclusion that he is not fulfilling his obligations in an appropriate manner. We have had numerous debates on this matter in recent weeks and there are many respects in which the Government's cuts agenda has been damaging. Some 100 Garda stations closed on 31 January, which is damaging. It is strange that the lack of crime in an area is not being used as a measure of success but is being turned on its head and being used against the area. Surely if a garda is doing his or her job properly, there will be less crime in the area and that should be the measure used. The local Garda station is at the heart of the community and is key to community infrastructure. This will also have a huge effect on people's sense of security and safety, particularly in rural communities.

This is also damaging to Garda morale. Gardaí are among those front-line workers who are being hammered by this new public sector pay agreement. The agreement has not protected low and middle-income earners. Gardaí face hugely increased workloads and increased stress due to under-staffing and under-resourcing but their reward is reductions in pay and allowances. They will struggle with mortgages, groceries and bills. Shame on the Government that is doing this to key front-line workers.

However, the closure of Garda stations is, most of all, damaging to community safety. The Garda will not have the resources to cope. There is an obvious value to the local gardaí and rural Garda stations in the prevention of crime. There is increasing evidence that station closures can lead to an increase in crime. In England, where rural services have experienced similar cutbacks in police services, crime figures have surged. We have experienced an increase in burglaries, which is particularly alarming in rural communities. Violent crime increased by 119% in country areas between 1988 and 1989 and 2006 and 2007 compared with a national increase of 108% that year. Gardaí do not have adequate tools to carry out their job. They need secure digital radio, satellite navigation systems, Internet and e-mail access and suitable transportation. As I recently highlighted in this House, the cars available to gardaí, where they have access to them, mean that they are not as mobile as they should be. The Government is not interested in assuaging concerns of these communities.

I refer to the issue of closure of Army barracks. The Minister has failed to produce evidence that there is an economic gain from closing barracks such as those in Cavan and elsewhere in considering the costs of paying additional travel allowances to approximately 600 people for many months, the substantial capital investments that will be needed in other barracks to accommodate those who are dislocated or the substantial security and maintenance bill for the closed sites, nor is it likely that these sites can be sold for much. The closure of the barracks has done huge damage to these communities. The loss to the local community and economy will take years to recover from. Shutting these barracks is not the answer.

Whether the issue is Garda stations or Army barracks, the Government would have us believe that we have do not have a choice and this is the approach that must be taken and there are troika diktats but that is untrue. The Government is free to adjust the terms of the bailout agreement on condition that the final outcome remains the fiscal adjustment to which the agreement commits Ireland.

We believe that the Government has taken the wrong fiscal approach and that there needs to be a greater spreading of the burden of cuts. The Minister has gone along enthusiastically with the Government cuts agenda and has shown little regard for the community in that context and, therefore, we have no choice but to support the motion of no confidence.

I wish to mention the issue of direct provision which I have mentioned on many occasions in the House. In opposition the Minister promised to review and dismantle the system of direct provision because it is an inhuman and degrading way of dealing with asylum seekers. That points to another failure by the Minister. Níl aon mhuinín againn as an Aire seo ná as na rudaí atá déanta aige mar gheall ar na ceisteanna atá ardaithe anseo. Beimid ag tacú leis an rún, in ainneoin go bhfuil sé de mhuinéal ag Fianna Fáil rún dá leithéid a chur chun cinn.