Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move:

“That Seanad Éireann: recognises that:

- protecting citizens is a founding duty of the State and policing has a defining role in that basic function;

- incidents of violence, crime and anti-social behaviour in our capital city and large urban areas such as Galway and Athlone are increasingly worrying for the public;

- high-profile incidents of violence, crime and anti-social behaviour in our capital reflect badly on our country as a whole;

- crime and anti-social behaviour is an issue and a concern in every part of our country;

- communities feel unsafe and are seeking a more visible policing presence;

notes that:

- the Programme for Government commits to prioritising visible policing in both rural and urban communities and ensuring more visible community policing, in line with the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing;

- community policing, where members of An Garda Síochána are known to, and have, a relationship with local businesses, services and citizens, including young people, is essential for building stronger, safer communities;

acknowledges that:

- public trust in An Garda Síochána is essential for ensuing safe communities and requires on-going sufficient resources, powers and reform;

- retention of members is increasingly difficult for An Garda Síochána;

- low morale, lack of work-life balance, fears for personal safety and unmanageable rosters are contributing to retention issues in An Garda Síochána;

- ongoing recruitment cannot fully compensate for the loss of members of the force;

calls:

- on the Minister for Justice to outline a clear plan to address retention of members of An Garda Síochána;

- for the resolution of the ongoing dispute over Garda rosters;

- for the provision of adequate resources and Garda numbers right across the country in both urban and rural areas;

- for increased resources for community policing in both urban and rural areas;

- on An Garda Síochána to implement the small area policing model;

- on the Department of Justice to explore the use of juvenile community service as an effective form of restorative justice;

- for a dedicated transport unit within An Garda Síochána; and

- for plans to address the drugs crisis, which is particularly impacting young people, and the development of a clear plan for prevention of a life of crime.

I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss this important matter. Unfortunately, matters relating to An Garda Síochána are developing as we speak. It is very worrying that 99% of the Garda Representative Association, GRA members balloted had no confidence in the Garda Commissioner. That is very worrying development considering the GRA membership makes up around 11,000 of the approximately 14,000-strong Garda force. I hope the Commissioner has not lost the dressing room, as it were. It is not a good look. I ask the Minister to intervene personally in the dispute to try to bring the two sides together to find a resolution to this problem because we are on a very dangerous road, the destination of which is not positive as things stand. Leadership in any area of life, whether business or elsewhere, is about bringing people with you. Unfortunately, that is not happening with the GRA and the Commissioner at the moment. I have confidence that with the Minister at the helm, taking responsibility for this current impasse, she will be able to bring together the two sides to find a resolution because, ultimately, there will be a resolution.

There are a number of issues relating to the ongoing problems. The one to the fore is the Garda roster. Management is proposing to add a fifth unit, in its view, to bring greater visibility of gardaí on the beat at peak times. That is very welcome. Others would say the sad reality is that there is not a sufficient number of personnel on the ground at the moment to be able to facilitate a fifth unit. In my own county of Monaghan, we are so short of gardaí that we do not even have a dedicated drugs force in Cavan-Monaghan. It sounds crazy but it is true. Community policing was to the fore during the pandemic when gardaí in many ways reconnected with the public because they had the time to do so, but those numbers are dwindling to try to beef up this fifth unit. There are other problems too, including the policing model where Cavan-Monaghan is lumped in with County Louth. I do not think that will work. I welcome the fact that a review is ongoing and the decision has been reversed for a number of counties, namely, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim. Donegal has been left on its own and that is positive. In Monaghan, and indeed, in Cavan, we are fearful that being lumped in with Louth will mean the vast majority of personnel will be sent towards Dundalk and Drogheda where the need is perceived as greatest.

Those are some concerns. Unfortunately, people are walking away from the force. In the first four months of this year, 59 people resigned from An Garda Síochána. If that trend continues, we will lose 140 through resignations this year. Something is wrong. I call on the Minister to do a review of why people are leaving the force and what the issues are that mean people are leaving and others are not joining. My time is short as I only have four minutes. There are many issues and I ask the Minister to intervene personally to try to find a resolution to this problem.