James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senators for the opportunity to address the House on this matter today. Everyone has the right to be safe and, importantly, to feel safe in our communities.That principle is central to my Department's mission to have a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland. It is also central to our community safety policy and the provisions of new legislation, such as the policing, security and community safety Bill. It is important, however, that we do not attempt to address all of the complex underlying factors associated with crime and antisocial behaviour with a policing response alone.

Much of the daily work of the Garda, as with other police services, is concerned with non-crime-related activity and the prevention of harm to some of the most vulnerable. Garda members are not always the best placed to offer support in these incidents. They may require interventions from healthcare professionals or other specialised services.

While community policing is the foundation that allows people to go about their daily lives in safety and comfort, it is understood that police services cannot tackle all the causes of crime or antisocial behaviour alone. Improving community safety requires all sectors to work together with strong collaboration across State agencies and engagement from the community. This is the focus of the community safety policy, the aim being to use evidence-based approaches to tackle the root causes of the issues and address them locally.

As many of the Members of the House may be aware, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, launched three pilot local community safety partnerships in late 2020. They are currently running in Longford, Waterford and Dublin's north inner city. The community safety partnerships will provide a forum for State agencies and local community representatives to work together to address community concerns. I firmly believe local knowledge of the issues a community faces is vital to addressing the problems at source. No one knows the problems and understands the potential solutions better than those living and working in the local community. The partnerships will build on the past, and on the structures of joint policing committees, to develop and deliver a modern fit-for-purpose forum for the future.

As recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, responsibility for community safety does not rest solely with An Garda Síochána or my Department alone. It is a whole-of-government responsibility. State services must act in harmony with one another and the community to improve safety. The partnerships will enable the community to hold these services to account. We know we will encounter challenges, particularly in these early days, and that not everything trialled in the pilot partnerships will work. As with all pilot schemes, we will learn and grow from these first lessons. The lessons will inform future partnerships and community safety plans across the State. Also, they will leave safer communities for all of us to enjoy.

I am acutely aware of the effects that crime and antisocial behaviour can have on the quality of life of all communities. An Garda Síochána will always be available to respond to local concerns, and high-visibility policing is a key to ensuring our communities feel and are safe. However, the most effective way we can improve community safety over the longer term is through the empowerment of local communities, combined with support from the State.

I have mentioned the policing, security and community safety Bill and wish to expand upon this landmark legislation. It represents an important new departure in policing, repealing and replacing the Garda Síochána Act 2005. It will support the human rights of all to be and feel safe in their communities. When enacted, the Bill will strengthen the independent, external oversight of An Garda Síochána and place the partnerships on a statutory footing, which will enable their roll-out to every local authority.

While we can all agree that An Garda Síochána's role as the national police service is vital to ensuring community safety, I want to ensure the public retains the trust and confidence in our gardaí that has been built up over the first 100 years since its establishment. Strong external oversight of the policing service will ensure this confidence is maintained.

The importance of the role of the Policing Authority has been clearly demonstrated, including through its recent inquires into the handling of 999 calls. The new policing and community safety authority established by the Bill will be empowered to engage in similar oversight and investigation, with added in-house inspection capacity. This stronger independent external oversight of An Garda Síochána, as part of a package of measures to ensure that the governance and oversight framework for policing is coherent, will support clear and effective accountability and, ultimately, better policing for our communities.

It is important to note that, generally, Ireland is a safe country. Our crime rates are comparatively low but there is always room to improve. The factors underlying the incidence of crime are the subject of ongoing academic and expert research, and my Department engages with the research community to monitor trends and emerging evidence.

The Garda Commissioner regularly monitors crime trends and puts in place operational measures, such as Operation Thor and Operation Citizen, to tackle specific issues. Operation Citizen aims to reassure the public that our capital is a safe place in which to live and work through high-visibility patrolling and community engagement. Operation Citizen achieves these aims through an increase in the patrols of the city centre, with 100 Garda members patrolling each weekend evening. The patrol increases are supported by members from the Garda public order unit and other specialist units assigned specifically to the city centre. Operation Citizen is not an isolated response; it works in tandem with several other operations ongoing in the city centre area. These include Operation Saul, which aims to provide a safe environment for commuters travelling in the Dublin metropolitan region, and Operation Spire, which tackles on-street drug dealing and antisocial behaviour on O'Connell Street.

To further support Operation Citizen, a property located at 13A Upper O'Connell Street is currently being redeveloped as a Garda station to enhance the high-visibility policing service in Dublin's city centre. The new station will have a public office for members of the public to seek support and report crimes, and to provide support to victims of crime. It will serve as hub to which on-duty gardaí can report directly without having to return to their designated station, as well as being the parade location for Operation Citizen. I am advised by the Garda Commissioner that in advance of the completion of refurbishment works for the new Garda station, a high-visibility Garda command vehicle has been placed on O'Connell Street.

The efforts of An Garda Síochána, which my Department fully supports, are having an effect. Since Operation Citizen commenced last year, more than 7,000 arrests have been made, and suspected illegal drugs valued at more than €6 million have been seized. I am pleased to note that, in October 2022, Dublin city centre was awarded purple flag status. This award, which is an international accreditation, recognises Dublin's excellence in its management of the night-time economy. Dublin is one of 40 cities throughout Europe that has attained purple flag status. Among the criteria considered in granting this award are crime rates and the willingness of persons to go into city centres after dark. I can assure the House that this is part of continuing work and ongoing engagement with stakeholders, all aimed at improving safety and the feeling of being safe.

There are also opportunities to look forward to the future and decide on the kind of society and country in which we wish to live now and in the coming decades and to leave to our children and the generations who follow them. As Minister of State at the Department of Justice, I see every day the hard work undertaken by our gardaí, the voluntary sector, community groups and dedicated civil and public servants towards that goal.

The community safety innovation fund reflects the success of An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau in seizing the proceeds of crime by funding projects that communities themselves know will help to improve their safety. I was delighted to secure an increase in the fund in budget 2023, from €2 million to €3 million, and I hope the fund will continue to grow over the coming years. This is just one of the supports and funding streams available from my Department.