Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Sinn Féin will support the passing of this legislation on Second Stage. However, that does not take from the fact that under the Government the incidence of assaults, sexual offences, theft, fraud and burglaries has risen. While it is welcome that serial offenders are being targeted in the Bill, the structural causes that give rise to the problem of burglaries stem from the decisions made by the Government.

Recent CSO statistics illustrate the following increases when one compares the figures for the year ending June 2014 with those for the year ending June 2015: the number of assaults increased by 10%, from 14,548 to 16,054; the number of burglaries increased by 8%, from 26,589 to 28,830; the number of ssexual offences increased by 3%, from 2,006 to 2,072; the level of theft increased by 2% to 78,885; and the number of fraud offences increased by 6% to 5,337. In the past year the number of burglaries has risen by 2,241. In Dublin alone the number has risen by 15%. These figures are startling, but the true number of crimes may be much higher. An audit of 2011 Garda statistics by the CSO in June 2015 located 75,000 crimes that had not been recorded by the Garda. They included 5,100 burglaries. According to recent reports in the Irish Examiner,the CSO still does not know if there have been improvements in the Garda system since the audit.

What can be said is that under the Government the incidence of certain criminal offences continues to rise, while Garda stations continue to be closed. In response to a parliamentary question from my colleague, Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, on the closure of Garda stations, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, confirmed that the Government had closed 139. This has resulted in a minuscule saving of €556,000 per annum. On average, only €4,000 per annum has been saved on utilities and maintenance costs per station. Such a small saving has had a disproportionately negative effect within rural communities and it is not only Sinn Féin that has identified this problem. According to the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, the decision made by the Government to close Garda stations has resulted in an increase in crime. We are witnessing the human impact of seven years of austerity. The association has further outlined that its office has been inundated with concerns about increased crime, particularly in rural areas. In addition, according to a Garda source reporting to The Irish Times,the closure of rural Garda stations exacerbates the sense of fear and corresponding uncertainty.When reliant on an ever-changing roster of personnel and mobile patrols, a loss of continuity is apparent. Without a continuous presence in the community, gardaí cannot provide an adequate community police service. The closure of rural Garda stations severs the tie with the community, with the added problem that crime is neither reported nor detected. Mr. Seamus Boland of Irish Rural Link points out that the only policy put in place by the Government is the closing of Garda stations. This means rural areas are without adequate Garda cover. The absence of a highly-visible local Garda station is advantageous only to those with criminal intent. Since the criminal fraternity knows which stations have closed, it presumably has a greater opportunity to evade gardaí. Closing Garda stations directly undermines the confidence the community has in policing, and it directly affects the reliability and speed of response.

According to Sinn Féin's reform agenda, key principles that must inform any positive change for on Garda Síochána include policing with the community to develop maximum confidence in the policing service and maximise co-operation between citizens and An Garda Síochána.

The impact of rural crime and the absence of Garda stations are particularly apparent in neglected Border regions. At present, the delivery of policing and justice is undermined by partition. Criminality and illegality do not recognise borders. Cross-border co-operation makes sense for border communities where common working arrangements and protocols can tackle criminal behaviour and promote community safety.

It is the Government's austerity agenda that creates the environment in which the crime rate is increasing. A lack of resources is well known to increase the incidence of theft and burglary. Misguided decisions to close Garda stations to make small savings to the Exchequer merely increase the opportunity for criminal activity and add to the uncertainty and fear citizens in this State are already experiencing under seven years of austerity. As always, it is the poor, isolated and vulnerable who suffer most under this Government. This Bill, while welcome, does not address the root causes of the increase in criminal activity and the negative social consequences of austerity.

The review being carried out on the rostering of gardaí, which rostering is having a negative impact on rural stations, is part of a pilot project. Even the chief superintendent in Galway has spoken about rostering and the problems it is causing. Rural gardaí are being sucked into urban stations to cover when personnel fall ill, etc. The rostering does not seem to be working very well. I realise this is a result of the working time directive but it certainly needs to be reviewed because of the very serious impact on rural stations.