Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil has decided to use its Private Members' time to focus on crime, policing and the area of justice in the country. The direction in which policing is going and the state in which An Garda Síochána is currently is of genuine concern to us. Just today, we had Central Statistics Office, CSO, crime figures that show homicide is up 31%, robbery is up 20% and sexual offences are up 1%. They are worrying statistics. We see scenes from our capital city, which reflect on the entire country in terms of antisocial behaviour, thuggery and attacks on tourists and people. That is not just in Dublin, however. We see this an Athlone, Galway and smaller towns and villages across the country. Crime is a problem in every part of our country and there needs to be a significant focus on it.

There was certainly a tipping point when Mr. Stephen Termini, the US tourist, was attacked in Dublin during the summer. That put crime and antisocial behaviour front and centre for every citizen. The fact that for the first time ever the US Embassy issued a warning for American tourists visiting this country to take care because there were safety concerns in our capital is a black mark for all of us right across the country and something we should hopefully never see happen again. However, it should be a point at which we say, "This is a problem and we need to address it." I know the Minister took steps following that to increase visibility of policing in the capital and that is very welcome. This issue of the increase of crime and antisocial behaviour in Dublin has been highlighted for the past number of years, however, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic and what happened afterwards. It is our lived experience walking through the capital city that it is not as safe as it used to be. I lived here for a number of years and I have seen a marked change, particularly as somebody who comes here to work every week for a couple of days. I can see the change in the city with my own eyes. It was a mistake to say that generally the place is safe because that was in direct contradiction to people's lived experience in the capital and those of us who work here for part of the week.

We also saw reports during the week of an increase in retail theft and businesses saying that every day of the week in every part of the country, people are stealing from their shops with little or no consequence, and that is having a real impact on business as well.It is the view of many of us that, to be fair to the Minister, she has only been in the Department for three years and this is a problem that has grown over a number of years. It predates her tenure and speaks to previous Governments that, to a certain extent, the ball has been dropped on policing and that is why we are having the challenges with An Garda Síochána.

Regarding the rostering issues, the fact that we are now in a situation where 99% of gardaí who were balloted have expressed no confidence in the Commissioner is a serious problem. A hands-off approach is not acceptable. If there is a serious issue within the health service and the Minister is asked about it, he does not just say that is a matter for the HSE, sit back and say it will be resolved by somebody else. The Minister of the day needs to deal with the issue using a hands-on approach, and engage with gardaí to find a solution because now we see that there is potential for a withdrawal of services on budget day. That reminds us of previous actions that were taken and the impact it had on communities. We do not want to see a withdrawal of services. We do not want to see gardaí having to take that particular action. The fact that they are having a special meeting in Kilkenny to discuss their options shows there is a serious problem within An Garda Síochána.

There has been an under-resourcing of the Garda over a number of years and we are trying to catch up on that now. I acknowledge the significant investment in recent years. I also acknowledge the Minister's work on domestic violence and violence against women. That has been a fantastic element of the work of the Department. It has made a great difference and it is something to be very proud of. We must focus on day-to-day policing and people feeling safe on the street, protecting businesses from retail theft, and looking at serious violence on the streets. There are parts of the country where it is not safe to walk and that needs to be addressed.