Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As much as €167 million per week or €725 million per month is the promised spend by those opposite. They bankrupted this country once and I assure them that we will not let them bankrupt it again.

I welcome the specialisation of An Garda Síochána in many cities and areas around the issues of sexual and domestic violence, crime, drugs and criminality. Creating specialised units to tackle crime is the way to go.

Senator Ó Donnghaile asked for a message about law and order. We, on this side of the House, are the party of law and order. We have always stood up for the Garda. In fact, we founded An Garda Síochána. We have been the party that has always stood by the State and we will continue to do so.

Community policing is critical to the work of An Garda Síochána. It is very important that we continue to invest in community policing. I understand that there is uncertainty surrounding Brexit and that there are pressing issues in many parts of the country. The Minister mentioned the issues concerning Drogheda and Cavan. There is a need, however, in the next allocation for An Garda Síochána to recognise the importance of the second city of our country.

I welcome the closer involvement and engagement between An Garda Síochána and PSNI. It is very important that that work continues. In addition, the work that the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, is doing with the Minister for Justice and Equality on the national drugs strategy to reduce harm, is something on which we need to see a greater and continuing emphasis. We must never become lax about drugs misuse and tackling the drugs related issues in urban and rural communities. The Minister, in his countermotion, spoke about the need to take on intimidatory behaviour, and I agree with that absolutely.

The delivery of more front-line gardaí with a higher visible presence, along with responsive community policing in communities, is what people want. The Minister is right when he says that people do not want to know who the Garda chief superintendent is or where the divisional headquarters are. They want to see community policing and a policing presence on the streets like we have seen regularly. They also want to see An Garda Síochána continuing to apprehend criminals, to detect crime and to put people behind bars. In addition, there is an obligation on society to adopt a different perspective on prison in terms of providing rehabilitation, custodial sentences and so on.

This Minister, during his tenure, has overseen the reopening of the Garda College in Templemore, recruitment to An Garda Síochána, a level of civilianisation of Garda stations that has not been done before that allows for more gardaí and resources, and more resources being given to An Garda Síochána. That is his legacy. We need collaboratively to send the message that crime does not pay, that we stand with our members of An Garda Síochána throughout this country, and that we will continue to work with PSNI in the North of this country. I urge the Minister to continue his good work. We have reopened Templemore and there are more gardaí on our streets. The highest ever Garda budget in the history of the State, achieved in the past two years, is the Minister's legacy.