Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise an issue, which Women's Aid highlighted recently, namely, the Garda failed to respond to thousands of domestic violence calls. An internal investigation has found many victims received no help after calling 999 in domestic violence incidents. Some of the incidents involved people repeatedly calling the emergency line and not getting the assistance needed. I call on the Minister for Justice, Deputy Humphreys, to liaise with the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, immediately to address this serious issue. I understand he will appear before the Policing Authority this week. It is important all members of the Garda know their responsibilities under the Garda domestic abuse policy and do everything in their power to protect these women and, indeed, some men living in fear.

It is also quite worrying the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, does not have enough staff to do its job. GSOC, the oversight body that investigates complaints about alleged wrongdoings and incidents involving members of An Garda Síochána, saw an 11% increase in the number of complaints it handled in 2020, up to a figure of 1,955. The Minister for Justice needs to address both those serious issues with regard to manpower for An Garda Síochána. With all the recent anti-social behaviour in our towns and cities in recent weeks, we can see the members of the Garda are stretched. We need to recruit more gardaí and to do so in a proper way.