Lorraine Clifford Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I know the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, is engaged in the Oireachtas justice committee at the moment so I appreciate the Minister staying on to answer this question. I want to talk about the drugs unit in Balbriggan. The Garda district which is known as district Y covers most of north Fingal and includes the towns of Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush, Lusk and the rural areas of Naul and Garristown as well as a number of other areas.

Fingal is the fastest growing and youngest county in Ireland. North Fingal has seen significant increases in population in recent years and this is set to continue. Garda resources in Fingal were decimated over the period from 2010 to 2016 and were down 20% on what they should have been at that time. While I acknowledge that some extra gardaí have been allocated to the area in recent months, this does not go anywhere near the levels that would be considered adequate for the population size.

I also fear that Dublin city is being prioritised in terms of Garda resources ahead of Fingal when allocations are being considered. I am aware from my attendance at the justice committee before coming to the Chamber that an extra 200 gardaí are coming on stream this Friday. I would like to know if any of these are being allocated to district Y. In their recent report on crime figures to the Fingal joint policing committee, gardaí in Balbriggan have stated that the district's drug unit needs more resources and I am asking the Minister to ask the acting Garda Commissioner to give the Garda in Balbriggan the extra resources that are needed urgently. Instances of drug possession for sale or supply have risen by 20% in the first four months of this year compared with the same period last year. This is significant but detection rates have dropped. By detection rates I mean crimes that are either solved or went to court. They have fallen from 100% to 90% and this is a cause of serious concern. The Garda report to the joint policing committee blamed this fall in detection rates on the lack of adequate resources in the district which requires members of the drugs unit to go and assist other units to cover the policing service. It is clear that policing resources are stretched in the area.

There are a number of drugs gangs operating in north Fingal and communities need to be assured that the Garda can adequately tackle this type of crime. Rush Garda station was closed by the last Government and while this is earmarked for reopening there is no clear timeline for that and no clear commitment that extra gardaí will be allocated to the station if and when it eventually reopens. Some towns in north Fingal have no community garda who would prevent a lot of young people getting involved in drug crime in the first place. I call on the Minister to make it Government policy that Garda resources are allocated in terms of the population spread of the country and rapidly expanding populations like we have in north County Dublin would get priority when the extra resources are being allocated.