Maire Devine (Sinn Fein)
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There is rarely a day when policing scandals are not front page news. From made-up figures to the smear campaign against whistleblowers, it is frankly becoming an issue that even the Government cannot spin its way out of. Crime is rampant and people are suffering, including the ordinary garda on the street. It is within that context that I have asked for the Minister to be present and to comment on the shocking cut of 136 gardaí in my area of Dublin South-Central.

I will start with some information I collected from a constituency-wide survey I carried out last year. When asked what was the biggest issue for the area, 20% of people said anti-social behaviour. Crime, dumping, drugs, gangland activity and murder accounted for 36% of answers. There is no doubt those issues have not been dealt with because of the lack of gardaí. When asked what people would change about the area, one constituent referred to anti-social behaviour and a lack of Garda presence.

The nitty-gritty of the cuts the Minister has imposed on Dublin South-Central are as follows. Kevin Street station has lost a massive 52 gardaí in the past seven years. Crumlin and Sundrive Road stations have lost 24 gardaí over the past seven years, and the number of gardaí in Ballyfermot station has reduced to 16. Last year the acting Garda Commissioner said that Ballyfermot would be one of the areas where a new Garda station would be opened rather than the suspect decision to reopen Stepaside Garda station. What possible justification is there for such cuts? There simply is not one. Saving money to spend on a Government spin unit is not of equal worth to the safety and security of people.

The details of the cuts to the number of gardaí is as follows. Dublin South-Central has lost 31 Garda sergeants since 2010. A newspaper ran a story only last week about the predicted crisis nationally from the delay in recruiting new Garda sergeants. Why should that be imposed on the people of Dublin South-Central? What about community gardaí? Nationally, the number of community gardaí in the force has fallen from 1,112 in 2010 to only 691 in 2017, a decrease of 38%. That shows the Government has no interest in investing in community policing although that is the future. Community gardaí are at the front line in tackling anti-social behaviour and creating good community relations. Having community gardaí can be transformative for communities. A good community garda can make connections, build relationships and work with the people in a community. In spite of that, Dublin South-Central went from having 99 community gardaí in 2011 to only 30 last year. That is a significant drop and the community is paying for it.

The effect of the drastic lack of numbers means gardaí experience fear on the streets. It is dangerous for the force not to know whether backup is needed in dangerous situations. Sinn Féin submitted a comprehensive document on the future of policing last month. I wonder whether the Minister read it. In it, we made more than 50 recommendations for the reform of policing. Those included reversing cuts to community gardaí, but there were also measures to strengthen accountability and protect whistleblowers. I urge the Minister to read it if he has not already done so.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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Very good. I thank Senator Devine. We are under time pressure this morning.

Maire Devine (Sinn Fein)
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I understand, a Leas-Chathaoirligh, but this is an extremely important policing matter.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I do not wish to take from the importance of the matter Senator Devine has raised.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I should say at the outset that the distribution of gardaí is exclusively the statutory responsibility of the Garda Commissioner. As Minister for Justice and Equality, I have no direct role in the matter. I am informed by the acting Garda Commissioner that in regard to the deployment of Garda personnel, a distribution model is used which takes into account all relevant factors, including population, crime trends and the policing needs of each individual Garda division, including the Dublin metropolitan region, south-central division, with a view to providing an effective and responsive police service.

I am further informed by the acting Garda Commissioner that the overall strength of the DMR, south-central division, as of the 31 January 2018 was 612. When appropriate, the work of local gardaí in the south-central division is supported by a number of Garda national units such as the armed support unit, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

Senators will be aware that the closure of the Garda College in Templemore in 2010 and the moratorium imposed at that time had a negative impact on Garda numbers across the country in all divisions. Since the Government reopened the college in Templemore in September 2014, just under 1,600 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties across the country.Of those, 719, or 45%, have been assigned to Dublin, of whom 141 have been assigned to the south-central division.

Senators will appreciate that the challenges presented by gangland crime in the Dublin area have necessitated additional investment in the specialist units to enhance their capacity to support the fight against this scourge. I am advised by the acting Garda Commissioner that extra gardaí have been assigned to the specialist units over recent months, including the drugs and organised crime bureau, which is particularly active in the fight against organised crime in the Dublin region. In addition, a dedicated armed support unit for the Dublin metropolitan region, DMR, was established at the end of 2016 to enhance armed support capability in Dublin and free up the resources of the emergency response unit. I understand that the allocation of resources to these units has affected disproportionately the number of divisional gardaí in the Dublin region. This will be one of the factors taken into account by the acting Commissioner when considering the allocation of new Garda recruits. I am pleased to say that 200 new gardaí will pass out of the Garda College next week and be assigned to locations around the country, with a particular focus on the Dublin region.

I assure the House that the Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country, including on the streets of our capital city, to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. To make this a reality for all, the Government has in place a plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021, including 15,000 Garda members. Real and tangible progress has been made towards this goal. Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, increased to 13,551 at the end of 2017, a net increase of more than 600 since the end of 2016. I am pleased that funding is in place to maintain this high level of investment in the Garda workforce. This year, a further 800 new Garda recruits will enter the Garda College in Templemore, with 200 having already entered since 29 January. In total, 800 Garda trainees are scheduled to attest during the year, with 200 due to attest next week. Taking account of projected retirements, Garda numbers are on track to reach 14,000 by the end of this year. Undoubtedly, the ongoing recruitment process will support all Garda activities, enhance visibility within our communities and enable the acting Commissioner to provide additional resources across the DMR, including the south-central division, as new Garda recruits come on stream.

Maire Devine (Sinn Fein)
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The Minister stated that the distribution of gardaí was "exclusively the statutory responsibility for the Garda Commissioner". As an elected Deputy and someone who has been appointed to the position of Minister for Justice and Equality, though, surely he should take a more hands-on approach to the root-and-branch reform of the Garda, especially given the scandals. He needs to have a more direct role. We have seen the skewed and inappropriate behaviour at some levels within the Garda Síochána. Perhaps the Minister should have more of a guiding input into how the reform is undertaken. It is doubtful that the scandals of last year can be put to bed at this stage, but I call on the Minister to be more proactive with the Garda after the necessary root-and-branch reform. In the meantime, we need to invest in the Garda in Dublin South-Central, which has increased in terms of its population and, unfortunately, crime levels.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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"Hands on" one day is "political interference" the next. I assure the House that the Government's focus on investment in personnel is critical. The moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction in the strength of the Garda. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the acting Commissioner with the appropriate level of resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of gardaí across divisions, including the south-central division. In addition to the Government's plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000, the investment in personnel is complemented by a substantial investment in resources across the board. A total budget of €1.65 billion has been provided to the Garda this year, an increase of 2% on 2017. Some €98.5 million has been provided for Garda overtime this year, representing an increase of €10 million on 2017's initial allocation. It should be noted that the Garda allocation continues to benefit from the significant additional funding that was provided in 2016 and maintained in 2017 to fund a sustained response to gangland crime and the continuation of Operation Thor and measures to prevent international terrorism.

Some €342 million, including €217 million in additional funding under the capital plan, is being invested in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021. This investment will continue under my watch and facilitate the provision of more effective policing services. I expect that the south-central division, like all other Garda divisions, will continue to benefit from the new resources that are now becoming available.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister and Senator. Their co-operation was appreciated, as we are under time pressure.