Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the House and I thank Senator Ó Ríordáin for requesting the debate. As has been outlined, the area encompassing Coolock and Darndale has clearly become a black spot for gangland and drug-related crime. I attended a meeting with the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, a month ago in Coolock Garda station and in Northside Partnership with various stakeholders, which in a sense was made up of the protagonists Senator Ó Ríordáin refers to in the local area. Many of the points that have been made were raised with the Minister on that occasion. It would not be fair to suggest that he is not aware of, or somehow has not addressed, this issue.

Based on the interactions I have had with the Minister about the issue especially in recent times, it is clear that he is taking it very seriously. As recently as this week he had a meeting with the Taoiseach and the Garda Commissioner on the issue, which indicates his serious focus on the matter.

I agree with Senator Ó Ríordáin that we should not politicise this matter. While the task force has the effect of getting groups together and focusing on the issue, based on the crime figures for the inner city, I am not sure it has been as successful in this area as the Senator might believe. In fairness to the Minister, he is responsible for matters of criminal justice. It really would be a matter for the Taoiseach to decide on that. When I spoke to the Taoiseach about it, he made the point quite fairly that Ballymun looked for a similar task force. The Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, has looked for a similar task force in her area.

I know what the Senator is saying and I will get to the point about how serious it is in Coolock. However, it is a question of how to adequately and appropriately allocate the resources to get the results necessary. Having a task force makes sense and I agree with much of what Senator Ó Ríordáin has said. However, we need to consider how effective it will be. It might be worth having a debate with the Taoiseach on the wider issue of a task force because we need to look into our hearts to decide if setting it up would have the desired results. Based on my interaction with the Minister and gardaí in the area, it is clear that there is major focus on this issue. Many additional resources have been allocated to the area. It is being taken seriously. That is my understanding.

It is horrendous that there have been five murders in seven months. It is a lovely community. As the Minister was told when we met in Coolock, parents feel they should not let their children go out. Senator Ó Ríordáin is not overdramatising that. That fear has been engendered by the activity in the area.

There has been considerable success in Limerick which is mostly down to Garda activity. I do not disagree with the idea of a task force. If it were to happen, it can only help. I feel that a quasi-task force has been set up in that the gardaí in the area are very focused on the issue. I believe that the role of the Minister for Justice and Equality in the Department he heads up is to ensure that the station in Coolock is properly resourced. I will not go through the figures the Minister mentioned, but there has been a significant increase in resources there.

Tackling organised crime in Coolock and neighbouring areas will require initiatives involving all actors - departmental officials, the Commissioner and local community groups. However, all those people are involved in this. I am interested in the results. If the Taoiseach decided to set up a task force it might be a good thing to do. I hope it would have the effect Senator Ó Ríordáin believes it will. Based on the figures I have seen in Dublin generally, while it sounds good to suggest it, the jury is out on whether we will attain the results we would hope.

I was very impressed by the local Garda approach and that many gardaí in the area are going along to park runs.