Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is an excellent report and I commend it to Members. I am sure the Minister is familiar with it. In some ways we have already done that work, so let it be a guide and a tool for gardaí and for the Department of Justice and Equality in policing rural areas more effectively and for listening to the needs of people on the ground.

Many of my colleagues have raised the issue of the Garda armed response unit and the scourge of drugs and armed gangs. Probably one of the commonest experiences of criminal activity is the issue of illegal moneylending and threats to people as a result, which has also been raised by Deputy Martin Ferris in the other House. When we speak of vulnerable communities being victims of these criminals, it is precisely that vulnerability the criminals prey on. They lend to mothers because in many cases it is women who head the families and they are preyed upon by these criminals who lend money and then demand extortionate rates back. They threaten violence and intimidation and, in some cases, carry the violence through. It is another issue that will relate to many people outside these Houses. While we have the Minister in the House, perhaps he could address this issue.

The Garda and the PSNI must appreciate the central role the community can play in helping to tackle criminality. This will only happen if the communities feel confident and empowered to assist the police in every way. This very much depends on the police investing resources and personnel into well-organised and planned community-based policing. It also means investing in community-led safety initiatives that come from the grassroots, such as Neighbourhood Watch schemes, text alert programmes and, crucially, in our urban centres and increasingly in rural areas, restorative justice projects.

Progress in defeating armed criminal gangs is slow, but nonetheless I concede that some progress has been made. Evidence from the public is crucial in this operation. In this context we need to look at possible measures to protect witnesses as one method of ensuring these guys are in prison and taken off the streets. A united front of politicians, police and community is one sure way of eradicating the scourge of criminality and restoring peace to the streets and peace of mind for the communities that are targeted.

I assure the Leader of the House that had the amendment come in the form of a stand-alone motion, I am sure it would have gained our full support. We had to make a call on this. Given what we are facing and the expectation from the community, the original Fianna Fáil motion holds the greater weight and this is why Sinn Féin supports that motion. I would love to have been able to support both.