Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed by the fact that the Fianna Fáil Senators have tabled the motion. In the first place the motion is, to a large extent, a re-run of a recent and similar attempt to attack the way in which the Minister and the Government are handling difficult and complex issues within his ministerial brief. As that attempt, in the form of another proposed motion, was overwhelmingly rejected by the House two weeks ago, I do not see what real purpose can be served by seeking to cover pretty much the same ground so soon again. Quite frankly, the Fianna Fáil Senators could have found a more meaningful and appropriate use for their Private Members' time, but that is the decision they have made.

Just as importantly, there is no substance to the issues that have been raised in the motion, and what the Fianna Fáil Senators have sought to do is merely to string together a set of topics on which they hope to garner some publicity. Such an approach is ill-advised and it is designed simply to undermine the excellent work being undertaken by the Government in the relevant areas. Also, but not surprisingly, the motion does not take account of the reality of the very difficult economic conditions facing the country. In that context, it is easy to understand why the Senators who have tabled the motion would wish to ignore our current and extremely harsh financial situation, especially when it is due in large measure to failures on the part of the last Fianna Fáil-led Government.

As the bulk of the specific matters referred to in the Private Members' motion relate to the Minister's functions as Minister for Justice and Equality, I will deal with them first. I will then address the relevant issues falling within his remit as Minister for Defence.

The legacy Fianna Fáil was happy to bequeath to the Minister for Justice and Equality a series of expenditure ceilings for the justice sector which, if applied, would have resulted in devastating cuts in Garda services which he, as Minister for Justice and Equality, would not and could not stand over. The Fianna Fáil national recovery plan was unacceptable and would certainly have put the Garda Commissioner in an impossible position. Fortunately, the Minister was able to secure additional funding over the three year period, 2012 to 2014, to ensure the Garda Commissioner and An Garda Síochána could continue to deliver an effective policing service.

In summary, for the justice sector in 2012, the Minister secured ¤2.243 billion, which was an additional ¤118 million over and above the Fianna Fáil allocation of ¤2.125 billion. For 2013, he secured funding of ¤2.2 billion which was ¤191 million over and above the Fianna Fáil allocation of ¤2.009 billion, and for 2014, he secured funding of ¤2.065 billion which was ¤105 million over and above the original Fianna Fáil allocation of ¤1.96 billion. With the Fianna Fáil national recovery plan, the Garda Commissioner and An Garda Síochána would have had an average of ¤90 million less each year for 2012, 2013, and 2014.

The Minister also made additional funding available last year and in 2013 for the purchase of transport for the Garda fleet for which no provision of any nature was made in 2009. In that context, 213 new Garda vehicles were purchased in 2012, and the dedicated funding of ¤5 million in 2013 will allow for the purchase of a significant number of new vehicles this year.

Recruitment to An Garda Síochána was ended by the Minister's predecessor, Dermot Ahern. The most recent recruits to enter Templemore did so in 2009 and the last substantial number of recruits graduated in June 2011. The last Government planned to reduce Garda numbers to 13,000 by 31 December 2014. The Minister is reviewing the position regarding Garda numbers in light of an estimated reduction to just over 13,000 by the end of 2013, and in this context he will bring proposals to Cabinet in the coming weeks. He does not want Garda numbers to fall below 13,000.

I wish to mention the discussions which have concluded recently on a revision to the Croke Park agreement. Everyone who is involved in this process has recognised the perilous state in which Fianna Fáil left the finances. It is only through the combined efforts of all parties who engaged in these discussions that we will begin to restore our fiscal sovereignty.

The Minister, Deputy Shatter, did not choose the appalling financial position in which he has had to operate as Minister for Justice and Equality. However, he done everything possible to maintain at the highest possible level the resources available to An Garda Síochána. There is a budget of more ¤1.4 billion available for the force in 2013 and, by any standards, this is a substantial amount. The Minister is pleased that the provision of three new Garda divisional headquarters for Kevin Street in Dublin, Galway and Wexford was included in the special Government stimulus package announced last July.

I wish to address the question of the closure of some Garda stations, which is referred to in the Fianna Fáil motion. Some 39 Garda Stations were closed in 2012. Eight of these had not been opened for a number of years and many only for a short period during each day. The same party which is proposing a motion of no confidence in the Minister for agreeing to close these stations formally presided over their continued existence on paper only in another attempt to fool the people. The closure of these stations simply recognised a reality concealed by the Minister's immediate predecessors. Following a comprehensive assessment by the Garda Commissioner of the Garda station network, a further 100 were listed for closure in the Commissioner's policing plan for 2013, 95 of which closed on 31 January 2013 and the remainder of which will close in the coming months.

The Garda station network was inherited from the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1922 on the foundation of the State. Such a large-scale static deployment of resources is no longer appropriate in the present day where the transport and communications infrastructure has been transformed beyond recognition. The Garda Síochána has a class-leading police computer system, a state-of-the-art digital radio system and a transport fleet which is currently receiving significant investment.

Of the 100 stations on the list for closure, 98% opened part-time, 94% opened for three hours per day or less, 88% were manned by one Garda and only 5% manned by three or more Garda personnel. By way of comparison, there are 83 police stations in Northern Ireland for its population of 1.4 million and 340 stations in Scotland for its population of 5.2 million.

In the London metropolitan area, 66 police stations are due to close, leaving 73 police stations open to the public. These figures speak for themselves.

It is the Garda Commissioner's professional opinion, following a comprehensive national assessment carried out over a period of 12 months, that a country the size of Ireland with a population of 4.5 million does not, in the 21st century, need 700 Garda stations. It is nothing less than scaremongering to suggest that reducing the network to 564 Garda stations is a cause for fear and anxiety. It would be entirely wrong for the Minister for Justice and Equality to second guess the commissioner's judgment and expertise in this matter.

It is unfortunate and regrettable that some public representatives, particularly in the ranks of Fianna Fáil, have been fuelling public fear regarding the impact of the closure of Garda stations. In fact, the Minister, Deputy Shatter, has been advised by the Garda Commissioner that Garda station closures in 2013 will result in an extra 61,000 Garda patrol hours. Are the detractors seriously telling the public it is preferable to have gardaí sitting behind desks in stations than being on patrol?

Some have sought to paint the Garda station consolidation process as an attack on rural Ireland. However, the two largest stations listed for closure in 2013 are Stepaside in the Minister's constituency of Dublin South and Kill o' the Grange in the Tánaiste's constituency of Dún Laoghaire. In 2012 the three largest Garda stations to be closed were Harcourt Terrace, Whitehall and Dalkey, all of which were also in Dublin. Garda stations come under the control of the Office of Public Works and the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, has confirmed that if an appropriate community management structure is put in place, the closed stations can be utilised for local community purposes.

The Commissioner, Mr. Martin Callinan, has stated the revised structures will continue to support the Garda community philosophy through the clustering of services at policing hubs. This centralisation of services will facilitate the introduction of enhanced patrolling arrangements which, in turn, will provide increased Garda visibility as well as maintaining existing Garda links with communities throughout the country. In addition, An Garda Síochána recently acquired a number of vehicles which are being converted into mobile Garda offices and it is planned to assign them to areas where Garda stations have been closed to ensure members of the public can continue to conduct their business and interact with members of An Garda Síochána.

All gardaí have a part to play in community policing and more than 1,000 gardaí are dedicated to community policing throughout the country. Gardaí continue to work closely with all communities to enhance community safety through a wide range of local fora such as Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch. The Department, along with the HSE, has for many years supported the work of the Community Alert programme, which was established in 1985 by Muintir na Tíre in association with the Garda authorities. The programme has 1,300 local groups. The close involvement of gardaí with the Community Alert programme was further underlined in January this year by the signing of an updated memorandum of understanding between An Garda Síochána and Muintir na Tíre which administers the programme. Furthermore, a new Garda community crime prevention programme booklet has been published to support the establishment and operation of Community Alert, Neighbourhood Watch and similar local crime prevention initiatives.

An Garda Síochána has risen to the challenges it faces in the current economic climate. Change is being delivered in co-operation with the members and staff of the Garda Síochána. Without doubt, the single biggest transformation project in the Garda Síochána, and arguably in the public service, has been the development and implementation in 2012 of a new roster system in the force. Not only does the new roster provide a more effective policing service, it also protects the health and welfare of the members of the Garda Síochána. The new Garda roster system ensures that resources are optimally deployed when and where they are required, to every part of the community, rural and urban. Evidence of the new roster is immediately apparent on our streets as more gardaí are on duty at times of peak demand and fewer during quieter periods. This is essentially what this reform is about - doing things differently but doing them more effectively.

In response to allegations about increased crime levels throughout the country, the most recent available crime statistics, published by the Central Statistics Office for the 12 months ending on 30 September 2012, show reductions in 12 of the 14 crime groups. There have been reductions in the numbers of crimes against the person including homicide offences, sexual offences and assault and related offences. Public order and damage to property offences have also decreased, as have drugs offences and weapons and explosives offences. Details of all these reductions have already been reported to the House. Burglaries, however, increased by 7.9% during the period.

Operation Fiacla was set up by the Garda Commissioner and is particularly focused on identifying and targeting mobile gangs involved in burglaries around the country, and is extremely effective. In the period to the end of January 2013 it resulted in 3,903 persons being arrested and 2,142 persons being charged. In addition, the latest quarterly figures for burglary suggest that Operation Fiacla is having an impact when compared with the quarterly figures prior to its introduction. These figures, taken with the robust response of the Garda in tackling gangland crime and the activities of paramilitary organisations, are clear evidence that while the Garda cannot avoid the economic realities, it has been more than able to continue to respond effectively to crime. The most recent crime figures show that the number of aggravated burglaries is down when compared with the previous 12 months.

Everybody shares the widespread outrage at gang-related criminal activity. The Minister is in ongoing contact with the Garda Commissioner about all aspects of serious crime and the Garda will continue to bear down heavily on the activities of those involved in gangland crime. The only effective way to combat organised crime is by disrupting and prosecuting those involved in its operations, particularly the drugs trade which is at the heart of much of its profits. We should not underestimate the difficulties the Garda faces in trying to prevent gangland killings and related crimes and in bringing the perpetrators to justice. These crimes are carefully planned and are carried out by people who are very familiar with criminal and forensic investigation techniques. Moreover, despite the clear risk to themselves, members of gangs will not generally co-operate with Garda investigations. Despite these difficulties the Garda has been able to bring people before the courts, particularly with regard to a number of high-profile killings in recent years, although it will be some time before these cases are disposed of.

This is not a budgetary matter. The Commissioner has made it clear that where resources are needed to combat serious and organised crime they will be made available. The number of gangland murders was, in fact, higher when Garda numbers were higher than they are now. Very strong anti-gangland legislation is already in place. The Minister, Deputy Shatter, has made it clear that if the Garda Commissioner feels other measures might be taken in this area he will look at them very positively.

Despite the many positive developments in Northern Ireland in recent years, the Garda has never relented in its efforts to counteract criminal groups whose only objective is to drag our island back to a dark past. The shared objective of the Government and the authorities in Northern Ireland is to enhance community safety on the whole of this island. The Minister has asked me to assure the House that we will continue, in co-operation with the authorities in Northern Ireland, to spare no effort to ensure criminal terrorists who seek to subvert the democratic will of the people will face the full rigours of the law.

The prison system also features in the Fianna Fáil motion. This is an area in which the Minister, Deputy Shatter, has adopted a very proactive approach since becoming Minister for Justice and Equality, and significant progress has already been made in this relatively short period. As Senators are aware, the system faces many challenges, including pressure of numbers and the fact that many of the prisons are very old. While these challenges are significant, the Minister will continue to ensure they are addressed as effectively as possible.

The largest single allocation of the capital allocation to the justice sector for 2012 was provided by the Minister, Deputy Shatter, to fund the Irish Prison Service building programme.

This significant capital investment underlines the Government's commitment to addressing the twin problems of overcrowding and physical conditions within the prison estate. Refurbishment, including the provision of in-cell sanitation, continues in Mountjoy Prison and approval has been granted to the Prison Service to proceed with the project to replace Cork Prison. The drafting of detailed plans for the replacement of two outdated wings in Limerick Prison has also been approved. A new unit opened in December 2012 in the Dóchas Centre which provides an additional 20 spaces. A new accommodation block at the Midlands Prison became operational in late 2012 providing a potential 300 additional spaces as well as additional work training and educational facilities.

The Minister has also actively pursued alternatives to custody. In that context he has established a working group to conduct a strategic review of penal policy. The group, which has a very wide remit, has been asked to examine the role of penal policy in crime prevention, sentencing policies, alternatives to custody, custodial accommodation and regimes, reintegration and rehabilitation, and any special issues relating to female offenders and prisoners.

Finally, the Minister is very much aware that the Prison Service has actively engaged with the staff associations as part of the Public Service Agreement 2010-14. As part of a joint task review process, management and staff representatives within the Prison Service are working effectively together to implement the provisions of the public service agreement. That ongoing process is addressing every aspect of the operation of the prison system and has resulted in the implementation of new daily task lists, new staff rosters and new staff configurations in seven establishments in 2012. In addition, another four prison development reports have been agreed and will be implemented next month. Reports for the remaining four prisons are at an advanced stage of completion.

Co-operation between management and staff within the Prison Service is at a high level during this challenging period. This has been achieved through a clear focus on communications facilitated through bilateral engagement with the staff associations and the support of the prisons sector group of the implementation body. In addition, Senators may be aware that specific measures relating to prison staff were incorporated in the proposals for the revision of the Croke Park public service agreement which have recently been circulated by the Labour Relations Commission.

I will briefly deal with the element of the motion which is concerned with Minister Shatter's role as Minister for Defence. In that regard, his primary objective in progressing the initiatives that have been taken has been to focus on maintaining the operational capability of the Defence Forces to fulfil all of the roles assigned by Government. The consolidation of the barrack infrastructure has been a long-term policy in this respect. Moreover, the re-organisation of the Permanent Defence Force has succeeded in freeing up personnel for operational duties and improved the overall effectiveness of the force. Reports and studies dated back to 1990 identified barrack closures as a fundamental requirement towards improving military effectiveness and efficiency. A total of 14 barracks have been closed by successive Governments over the past 14 years.

The total realised to date in terms of sales of surplus property is approximately ¤85 million. This, together with income of ¤18 million approximately from the sale of other smaller military properties and married quarters, has been reinvested in a number of areas including the provision of accommodation, training facilities, the equipment modernisation programmes which involved major acquisitions, including light tactical armoured vehicles, personnel carriers, eight helicopters, and two new offshore patrol vessels.

The Minister is committed to maintaining the capacity of the Defence Forces. He is satisfied that the Defence Forces are currently fully capable of meeting those tasks assigned to it.

Members of the Garda Síochána provide a vital service to the public and deserve the support of the public. A safe society is the responsibility of every member of that society, not just of the gardaí. The interconnection between the Garda and community is a vital one in the successful delivery of a policing service in Ireland. The Government will not shirk its responsibility to do everything that it can to ensure that the connection is not broken and that the best possible resources are made available to the Garda Síochána.

Similarly, the Government will continue to pursue the development and improvement of the prison system. That project has been a major priority for the Minister during his time as Minister for Justice and Equality. That will continue to be the case. In addition, he has worked hard to ensure that the Defence Forces will be fully capable of fulfilling their important tasks. He is satisfied that this is the position and that it will be maintained. As I have demonstrated very clearly, the Fianna Fáil motion is completely without substance and, accordingly, I commend the amendment I have proposed to the House.