James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators for their detailed and wide-ranging contributions. That a significant number spoke shows the genuine interest in what we have been discussing. I thank the Acting Chair and the Senators for giving me the time to speak.

Policing is just one facet of community safety, as the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has stated. I assure Senators and the public that the Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs. Budget 2023 provides for in excess of €2.14 billion in funding to the Garda organisation. This will allow for investment in the service's fleet, accommodation, ICT and, most importantly, the Garda organisation's most vital asset, namely, its people. The budget provides for the recruitment of up to an additional 1,000 gardaí and 400 Garda staff. Coupled with the roll-out of the operating model, with its focus on community engagement and further reassignments of gardaí to front-line duties through civilianisation where their skills and experience can be best utilised, I am confident the Garda will have the resources to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. I am also confident the Garda will continue to keep our communities safe for all.

Since the reopening of the Garda College in 2014, more than 4,000 new Garda members have attested and been assigned to stations across the country. More than double the number of applications were received this year than in the previous Garda recruitment competition in 2019. I was delighted to see increased numbers of applications from women and new communities. The police service should be representative of the public it serves and An Garda Síochána is open to all.

The Garda Commissioner has indicated his intention to intake 200 recruits to the college every three months in 2023. To ensure an adequate pipeline of new entrants, the Commissioner has also informed the Minister and me that he intends to announce a new recruitment campaign in early 2023. I would urge anyone interested to please apply.

The recruitment of almost 1,800 additional Garda staff in recent years has increased civilianisation and supported the reassignment of gardaí to front-line policing duties where their skills, training and policing expertise can be fully utilised. This reassignment has meant that, as of the end of October, more than 870 Garda members have been reassigned to operational roles and their previous roles taken on by Garda staff.

The roll-out of a new operating model for An Garda Síochána across all 19 divisions is continuing. The new model is designed to streamline Garda administration and provide a more visible, responsive and localised policing service to communities nationwide. More than 10,000 mobile devices have been rolled out so far, enabling front-line gardaí to perform their duties without returning to stations and keeping more gardaí visible on the streets. These initiatives and more will deliver on the objective of maintaining high-visibility policing in our communities.

The policing, security and community safety Bill will provide that prevention of harm will be a specific statutory objective of An Garda Síochána, recognising the vital work that gardaí do on the ground every day in communities around the country. However, preventing crime does not just mean putting extra gardaí on the beat. Supporting community-based initiatives with the Community Safety Innovation Fund and utilising technologies such as community text alert groups and property marking can also act as effective deterrents. Just as crucially, diverting people from criminality by affording opportunity is key. That is why I believe that locally targeted, evidence-based interventions are the most effective tools for improving community safety.

The Justice Plan 2022 further progresses my Department's commitment to working with public sector colleagues, non-governmental organisations and wider society to deliver safer communities for everyone. I aim to continue this focus through the 2023 justice plan and the ongoing implementation of the youth justice strategy.

As a Minister of State, I see every day the hard work undertaken by gardaí, the voluntary sector, community groups and dedicated civil and public servants towards that goal. I want to see safe communities for our children to play in. I want to see safe communities with communal spaces that we can all enjoy regardless of whether we live in, work in or are just visiting a town, city or rural area. By working in collaboration with communities, we can deliver on these goals. The protection of our communities is not simply a matter for An Garda Síochána. It is a cross-community effort that requires all State agencies to work together in collaboration.