Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. One way in which the national broadcaster did the State some service was by shining a light on this issue and not sweeping it under the carpet. It was upsetting to see the scenes on the premier street in Ireland, which is steeped in history. That situation is a microcosm of an issue that faces people in many parts of Ireland. It is a multi-stranded, multifaceted and complex issue and putting more police at the problem is not the single solution to it. Several different approaches are required.

One way we can help to prevent antisocial behaviour on our streets is by designing it out. Our public space shapes our behaviour dramatically and influences how safe we feel. A dark, narrow and quiet alleyway will feel much less safe than a bustling, well-lit avenue. It is up to our local authorities and hard-working councillors to decide what our public spaces look like but we can help at a national level. One of the objectives under the Department's justice plan is to make spaces safer and reduce opportunities for sexual and gender-based violence. One approach to this is to undertake audits of safety for women and girls, which is a framework developed by the UN. We should give money to local authorities to carry out this work, identify which areas are considered to be unsafe and use those lessons to improve existing public spaces and inform the design of future spaces.

Feeling safe in public spaces is important, especially for women. Many of the indicators for the justice plan are based on the findings of the Garda's public attitudes surveys. One of these relates to a question on fear of crime and the impact it has on quality of life. We have the results of the 2021 survey and they are interesting. They back up the importance of urban design and safety. When asked what factors would make them feel safe in the community, 43% of respondents said street lighting, which was the second most common answer after having more gardaí on the streets. I am not saying it is a single, silver-bullet solution but I am absolutely convinced that greater visibility of An Garda Síochána will help the situation. I appreciate what the Minister of State said in respect of O'Connell Street but the fact is we need more gardaí on the streets. The Commissioner has declined to create a Garda rail unit but, in fact, I am seeing a lot more members of the Garda on our trains, which is already having a positive effect. The very presence of the forces of law and order is effective.

It is interesting to dig down into the statistics I mentioned. A total of 34% of respondents feel that access to recreational activities for teenagers and young adults locally would make people in those communities feel safer, while a similar number, 32%, believe good local mental health services would have the same effect. One speech in the Seanad will not offer all the solutions but I hope our combined contributions can shine a light on particular areas and offer suggestions the Minister of State will take on board. I know he is already doing good work in this area. The survey finding regarding mental health services underlines the need to approach crime and antisocial behaviour in a holistic way. As I said, this is a complex, multifaceted issue.

We must work with local communities. We have in our thoughts and prayers the community garda whose car was hit last week in Youghal and the gardaí who were assaulted in Ballyfermot this week. Another solution I am convinced will work is the public standing up against such crimes. People in Ballyfermot are very proud and decent and do not like their community being misrepresented in the media. They are concerned people might get the wrong impression that such behaviour is representative of their proud, decent community. They came out on the streets yesterday, in a grassroots response, to support the Garda Síochána. I was proud of what they did and I would like to see it mirrored throughout Ireland. We need more support for the police and a calling out of this thuggish behaviour. Those responsible do not speak for our proud, hard-working communities. Such retrograde activity does damage to the proud image and reputation of communities in which people have worked hard to make their area better and safer.

The Government's focus on investing in communities and community policing is a step in the right direction. In the budget, the Minister announced that the community safety innovation fund would be boosted to €3 million by way of the re-investment in communities of the proceeds of Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, seizures. It is appropriate that the money taken from those who are feasting on communities and being enriched to the tune of millions of euro by putting a lethal cocktail of drugs into the hands of vulnerable people should be reinvested in those communities. I welcome it wholeheartedly. That investment is in addition to the increase in youth service funding by €2.5 million to €24 million. It will help to divert young people from crime and free up gardaí for front-line duties. We are also investing in communities and sports and recreational activities. The Government has been very supportive and generous in sport. I am convinced it is a solution. Sport keeps people on the straight and narrow. I do not know exactly what they mean when they say it, but such decorated athletes as Kellie Harrington, the Olympian, and EU boxing champion, Eric Donovan, when asked, respond that sport possibly saved their lives. Sport is key, as well as recreation facilities.

The Minister of State, Deputy Browne, recently launched a discussion paper to extend the Garda youth diversion scheme to include young people up to the age of 24, which is something the Green Party strongly supports. Will the Minister of State provide updates on when we might see that change made if Government agrees to his initiative? Will he also provide an update on the work of the expert firm on antisocial behaviour? I welcome the Minister of State’s presence in the Chamber. It is very important not to shy away from these debates.

Work is being done, but an awful lot more work has to be done. There is more work to do. I want everyone to feel safe. Unfortunately, when we take a step back, like we saw, for example, with the big headlines regarding O’Connell Street, it takes forensic days and weeks to repair that damage. Some people feel they are not safe on that street. Actions speak louder than words and translating more of the good words of the Government into action is central to an effective response to what is, unfortunately, a growing systemic problem in Ireland.