Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to speak to us today about this issue, which has obviously been in the public psyche. As all the other speakers have already said, people across cities, towns and rural areas are feeling a greater sense of threat. I live on the Carlow-Kilkenny border and rural communities are concerned for their safety, as we have heard from others. We heard that from Senator McCarthy last week, and from Senator Ahearn. We have heard about rural communities and farming communities. This is an issue throughout the country.

I will comment on Senator Ryan's thoughtful contribution about living with fear and the fact that no one deserves to live with fear. That was an important statement about how we address safety for different communities and populations. We need to strengthen the initiatives we have in rural areas to ensure that rural communities feel they are being supported. There is a wider issue around rural exclusion and how rural communities feel and are treated in comparison with those in towns and cities.

An effective response to crime that ensures a swift, fair and community-focused response is essential. We have already discussed that the Garda must be well-resourced, visible and engaged with the communities it serves. This means increased community policing, an increased presence and better training in things such as de-escalation and mental health crisis intervention. We should be stressing our response to crime through increased Garda patrols in areas that are known to have higher levels of crime. We should be focusing on deterrents and working with communities rather than taking a punitive approach.

We should be developing a restorative justice programme where victims and community representatives have the chance to meet offenders so there is an opportunity to repair the harm done in the medium and long terms. As we have heard, however, response alone is not enough. We also need to address the root causes of crime. The root causes to any social issue are important to address if we wish to reduce it. Those causes include things such as addiction, poverty and social exclusion. We need greater co-operation between the Garda, social services and local communities, and must ensure we take an holistic approach that prioritises rehabilitation over punishment, where possible.

Preventing crime starts with creating opportunities. We must invest in things such as education. Senator Cosgrove spoke about the importance of youth services and employment initiatives that steer people away from crime before they enter the justice system. In many cases, once people are in the justice system it is difficult for them to leave it. Research has shown that young people can be vulnerable to things such as peer pressure, socioeconomic factors and childhood trauma, which is a significantly contributing factor to their participation in crime. Addressing these challenges and needs through youth diversion programmes is key. The approach can include community centres, mentorship programmes and affordable housing projects, which are proven ways to reduce crime by fostering stability, inclusion and social cohesion. As we have already heard, things such as well-lit street areas, maintained parks, safe after-school programmes and the regeneration of communities, as Senators Duffy and Cosgrove spoke about, all contribute. These initiatives obviously come at a cost, but it is about an investment in safer and stronger communities. That is a cost I think we can all agree is worthwhile.

In my own area of Carlow and Kilkenny, we have seen the power of local solution in action. The Kilkenny community policing initiative has made strides in strengthening relationships between the Garda and residents, and ensuring that policing is responding to local concerns. In Carlow, we have St. Francis Farm, which is a community-based addiction recovery programme that recognises substance abuse is a social issue, not a criminal one. That is an important point.

We have heard about earlier interventions around gender-based violence. In response, the Garda has been asking for powers to allow for the removal from the home of perpetrators of domestic violence in instances where the threshold for arrest is not met. That was on the agenda in the term of the previous Government and I think it is something we should continue to explore.

Community safety is not just about policing. That is an element of it, but it is not the sole factor. It is about building a fairer society in which everyone has the right to feel safe. As Senator Ryan mentioned eloquently, we need a society where everyone has the right not to live in fear. I believe that in order to respond to crime effectively, we need to focus on preventing it through investment and championing local initiatives, such as the ones I mentioned in Carlow and Kilkenny.