Seanad debates
Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Garda Stations
2:30 pm
Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, to the House.
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour)
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I appreciate the Minister of State coming to the House to take this matter. The area of Clongriffin and Belmayne is growing in size as is the population. Renewed plans are frequently put in place for the expansion of that entire community and a population of 50,000 is projected in the coming years. We are effectively talking about a population on the scale of a large town, if not a small city. A number of years ago I had a debate in this Chamber with the then Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, about the need for a new secondary school in that area. At the time I was told by the Minister that it was not necessary and that the population did not warrant it. Within 18 months the Department had changed its mind, having looked at the population trends and the projected population, and granted the establishment of a new second level school in that area. Thankfully, Educate Together is to be awarded patronage and it is to open in September.
I make that point purely because we feel a Garda station would benefit policing, security and bring about a sense of community in that community. There is currently what we might call a Garda clinic which takes place in one of the rooms of the Junction Community Centre in Clongriffin. On a Saturday, gardaí sign forms, do basic Garda work and are available to assist the community. An Garda is doing the best it can with the resources it has to serve the community in whatever way it can. Clearly a Garda presence of that nature is seen to be needed in that area.
This area is growing in size. In the past politicians have been criticised for not engaging in forward planning. We build residential units but we do not build a community around those residential units to serve them. I am saying at this early stage that there is a need for a Garda station, just as I said two years ago that there was a need for a new second level school. The campaigners and I were proven to be correct on that and we managed to be successful in that endeavour. I know that Government policy has changed over the last number of years, moving away from stationary Garda stations and emphasising the transportation of gardaí in vehicles, on bikes and in cars. I appreciate that move. However, given the scale of this community, the size of the population and the number expected to move into that area, at the very least, a positive response from the Minister of State's Department on looking at establishing a Garda station in that area, one that can work with the new communities, give advice to planners on how best to construct new residential entities and with transport links, etc., would be of huge benefit to what I am sure he will accept is a large town, if not effectively a small city, being built on the outskirts of Dublin.
David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, is in the Dáil and sends his apologies. The Minister and I would like to thank the Senator for raising this matter today. The Senator will be aware that the resources provided by the Government to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation of €1.76 billion for 2019. This represents an increase of more than 6% on the initial allocation for 20218. Very significant capital investment is also being made in An Garda Síochána, including investment of more than €242 million in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021, to enable investment of €46 million in the Garda fleet over the same period, as well as considerable capital investment in addressing the deficiencies in the Garda estate.This investment is in support of the Government's commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. However, the Senator will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is primarily responsible for the effective and efficient use of the resources available to An Garda Síochána, including responsibility for the formulation of proposals regarding the opening and closing of Garda stations, taking into account crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. Furthermore, the programme of replacement and refurbishment of Garda accommodation is progressed by the Garda authorities working in close co-operation with the Office of Public Works, which has responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation.
The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, has no direct role in these matters. He and I are aware that the Senator and some local representatives have suggested that a new Garda station at Clongriffin-Belmayne is required due to population growth and development in the area. Bearing in mind that it is a matter for the Commissioner to efficiently manage Garda resources, on behalf of the Minister, I can confirm that the Clongriffin-Belmayne area, as referred to by the Senator, is located within the Coolock Garda district. I also confirm, on behalf of the Minister, that the Garda authorities indicate that the area receives ongoing attention from gardaí assigned to Coolock district. We further understand that local Garda management in the Dublin metropolitan region north division is aware of issues relating to anti-social behaviour in the locality and, in addition to routine patrols by mobile patrol units, Garda foot patrols and members of community policing units have deployed additional personnel, particularly to specific areas identified as public disorder and anti-social behaviour hotspots, to address this type of criminality. In addition, the Garda authorities indicate that the community policing unit at Coolock Garda station has ongoing engagement with various residential, commercial and business groups within the community, providing personal security and crime prevention advice at regular meetings throughout the district.
We understand that Garda management locally has put in place specific initiatives targeting anti-social activities of young drivers, including intelligence-led initiatives, and that An Garda Síochána works closely with the local authorities to reduce such incidents and opportunities for joyriding, anti-social behaviour and public disorder. Garda checkpoints to prevent and detect criminality across the districts have resulted in the detection of road traffic offences, the recovery and seizure of firearms, the disruption of the sale and supply of drugs, and the execution of warrants.
We are informed that monitoring of crime trends and initiating frequent, short-term and varied crime prevention and detection initiatives continue to be strategies employed by local Garda management to target criminal behaviour and spikes in specific types of criminality, including driving-related offences, and other forms of anti-social behaviour.
As I stated, it is a matter for the Commissioner to manage and direct Garda resources. This includes responsibility for the formulation of proposals regarding the opening and closing of Garda stations. The Senator may recall in that regard that A programme for a Partnership Government included a commitment for a review of Garda districts and dispersement of resources. The resulting report of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate entitled, Policing with Local Communities, which was submitted to the Minister by the Policing Authority and published in December 2018, also finds that the responsibility for decisions on boundaries and dispersement of Garda resources, including the number, type and location of Garda stations, should rest with the Garda Commissioner, as is currently the case. I understand the Garda authorities do not currently propose a new station in the area referred to by the Senator.
Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Senator to be brief.
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour)
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I appreciate the Minister of State's response but I do not accept it. It is nonsense to suggest to this House or to me that it is the role of the Garda Commissioner to make these decisions when we all know a member of the Cabinet is well able to trumpet that he apparently was successful in reopening Stepaside Garda station. He is also willing to tell all his constituents as often as he possibly can that it was his intervention that made that happen. For the Minister of State to suggest there was no political interference or influence on that decision is a statement of an untruth. I know it certainly went against the advice of the assistant Garda Commissioner. As was stated in the Houses of the Oireachtas, he was not in favour of it and did not believe it was a proper use of Garda resources. It is not good enough for the Minister of State to tell me that this issue has nothing to do with the Government when it has.
I advised the Minister of State that the Government stated two years ago that there was not a need for a secondary school in the Clongriffin-Belmayne area and now it has stated a school is needed. A Garda station is also needed in the locality because of the projected population. I am sure that in years to come somebody in the Minister of State's position will inform the House that the Government has changed its mind in that regard. I ask the Minister of State to stop telling us this is not a political decision when clearly it is a political decision. Will he review the priorities of the Department to take account of this new population centre and give it the service it clearly needs?
Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I am not sure if the Minister of State has anything to add.
David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I will make a brief comment. I thank the Senator for raising this matter. It is an important one, of that there is no doubt.
David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I again thank the Senator for raising this matter. On behalf of the Minister, I reiterate that while we understand that the Garda authorities do not currently propose a new station for the area to which the Senator refers, they have informed the Department of Justice and Equality that they are aware of the issues arising in the locality and that local management has put in place specific initiatives to address these. I also understand that An Garda Síochána works closely with the local authorities and local stakeholders, as appropriate.