Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I move:

“That Seanad Éireann: recognises that:

- there is a recent increase in anti-social behaviour on public transport across the country;

- this increase is dissuading the public from utilising the transport network;

- young people, the elderly and women are particularly impacted;

- this behaviour is undermining the significant investment and funding allocated to the public transport system by the Government;

notes the:

- exposure of public transport staff to regular threats of violence;

- recent suspension from 6 p.m. of Dublin Bus services in parts of its network, after reports of 35 incidents of violence, attacks, vandalism, threats with knives, and a female driver terrorised by a large mob;

- testimony of bus drivers to Dublin Bus management that it is not tenable for them to ‘risk life and limb, driving buses ... to be attacked and assaulted’;

agrees that:

- everyone on public transport, whether employee or passenger, should be able to rely on a safe and secure system and be protected from anti-social behaviour;

- public transport is important in meeting Ireland’s climate goals;

and calls for:

- the establishment of a dedicated Public Transport Unit within An Garda Síochána.”

Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
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I second the motion.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for coming to the House for this motion, which I am proposing, seconded by my colleague, Senator Ardagh, and the rest of the Fianna Fáil Senators. The topic is the issue of public transportation, and most importantly, safety on our public transportation. For the benefit of the House, I will start by reading the motion and then we can have some discussion on it.

The motion states:

That Seanad Éireann: recognises that:

- there is a recent increase in anti-social behaviour on public transport across the country;

- this increase is dissuading the public from utilising the transport network [including our buses, trains, Luas and DART];

- young people, the elderly and women are particularly [negatively] impacted;

- this behaviour is undermining the significant [public] investment and funding allocated to the public transport system by the Government [and the State];

notes the:

- exposure of public transport staff to regular threats of violence [which is totally unacceptable];

- recent suspension from 6 p.m. of Dublin Bus services in parts of its network, after reports of 35 incidents of violence, attacks, vandalism, threats with knives [and other implements], and a female driver terrorised by a large mob;

- testimony of bus drivers to Dublin Bus management that it is not tenable for them to ‘risk life and limb, driving buses ... to be attacked and assaulted’ [It is truly unacceptable and disturbing for those workers to have to detail such stark and startling consequences];

agrees that:

- everyone on public transport, whether employee or passenger, should be able to rely on a safe and secure system and be protected from anti-social behaviour;

- public transport is important in meeting Ireland’s climate goals;

and calls for:

- the establishment of a dedicated Public Transport Unit within An Garda Síochána.

In a similar way, we have a road traffic unit within An Garda Síochána. An Garda Síochána is a trusted brand in general in Irish society. Gardaí are seen as members of our community and they are best positioned to enforce our laws and respond to any sort of illegal activity or antisocial behaviour. For that reason we are proposing that the Garda would dedicate a unit of its operations to increasing the safety and security of all of those who use our public transport system. We are particularly conscious of employees and people who are working on our public transport and of passengers. It is of the utmost importance to us all that everyone who uses our public transport does so with confidence while feeling safe and secure.

That has not been the case in recent times and there has been an increase in antisocial behaviour on public transport, which has been well documented, including on the Luas, buses and other forms of public transport. It has not been limited to the capital city alone. There have been instances of members of the public or staff subjected to intimidation, harassment, bullying - and I am sad to say this - and also assault. The situation has become intolerable. It is well past time for the establishment of a dedicated public transport unit within An Garda Síochána.

For those who may be listening to the debate and who may not be convinced I will not labour the point too much but there are some real-life examples and these are not inflated media reports. I would reference CCTV footage from April 2021 that would disturb anybody who would see it. In that footage a 17-year-old girl was seen falling from a platform onto the tracks.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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She was pushed.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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It was disturbing. The young girl and her friends were harassed by a group and one of the group lunged at the girls repeatedly. They found it bizarrely amusing to intimidate and harass young women like that but they did so and the young girl fell onto the tracks. She sustained injuries but thankfully none of them were that physically serious. However, we need to stop and think about the mental and emotional injuries and the trauma that has to have inflicted on that young girl and on all who witnessed it.

Back in August of last year a man was left fighting for his life after he was viciously assaulted down in the Irish Financial Services Centre, IFSC, at a Luas stop. Dublin Bus has reported hundreds of cases of antisocial behaviour over the last year. Over 760 incidents involving antisocial behaviour occurred on the country's rail network.It has reported more than 760 incidents involving antisocial behaviour occurred on the country's rail network, that is, our main-line rail service. That was just during the first six months of 2022. A 26-year-old man was assaulted in a homophobic attack. He was abused with homophobic slurs when he was taking a late-night bus home in August 2022. We live in a rich, civilised society. It is totally unacceptable for the communities, in this city and other parts of our country, that public transport is being withdrawn and people working on public transportation feel unsafe going to work and do not know what they will experience. Their families and friends do not know if they will come home safe and their employers do not know if they can guarantee their safety. The people who wish to use the public transport service and do their civic duty, reduce their carbon footprint and make their contribution to climate action, are doing so fearful of whether they will survive the journey or of what they will experience on the journey. It is totally unacceptable and I will not even go into the obscene details of the sexual activities and assaults that have taken place.

I think I have painted a picture and I hope I have not laboured the point too much. However, it is really important that Government understands this is a real issue for people living and working in our cities and towns, and throughout our country. We believe that instances such as those I have described, which are so unpleasant and potentially dangerous, are actively discouraging people from using our public transportation. We have been hearing this in our clinics and have observed it while using public transportation.

Last year, the Dublin group in Fianna Fáil did a public transport safety survey. We did the survey by talking to people who are public transport users and workers, and there were more than 1,300 respondents. The response was overwhelming. It was an online survey and it required people to go online and take some time out of their busy lives to complete it, but they took the time. There were more than 1,300 respondents, of whom 93% had witnessed antisocial behaviour on our public transportation. That is almost everyone. Nine out of ten people who used public transportation had witnessed antisocial behaviour. Some 62%, or six out of ten respondents, do not feel safe when using public transportation in the evening. Some 80% do not wish to use public transportation because they feel unsafe late at night. Almost 80% support the proposal for a dedicated Garda public transport unit. Some 53%, which is one in every two passengers, had seen antisocial behaviour on a regular basis.

Those are the results of our survey. We have many examples of effective public transport safety being provided by gardaí and police in other jurisdictions. I hope that when the Minister of State comes to the House today, he will respond positively from the Government because we have met with the passengers, service providers and gardaí. We believe this needs political support and championing and we hope the Minister of State will be able to provide that today.

Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I know he has been here for a while today. This is a really important motion. We know that for people to use public transport, anywhere in the country and not just in our cities, they need to feel safe. From our research among public transport users, 93% of people say they have witnessed antisocial behaviour. My colleague has pointed out myriad cases. It seems that on a weekly basis we hear of assaults and attacks on public transport, not just in our cities, but throughout the country. It makes people feel unsafe and puts them off using public transport. We know we have climate targets and we need to see more than 500,000 people move from private cars to public transport if we are to meet those targets. We will not get there at the pace we are moving at present.

We know that people who use public transport are looking for public transport police. This has been discussed for years. It has been in many of our Government manifestos. I know the National Transport Authority, NTA, and the Garda do not feel there is a need for a transport police, but we know there are certain times of the day, such as when Nightlink buses run, and certain routes where it is very clear and obvious that not only the passengers, but the drivers, would feel safer if there was some visibility from An Garda Síochána on the bus or platforms. Growing up, there was always a conductor on the bus. There was not a conductor on every bus but there were conductors on some routes because, at the time, Dublin Bus knew some routes were a little trickier for drivers and they put the second man on the bus route to have a little more safety.

This is not too different. It is asking An Garda Síochána, which is the appropriate body, to put a second man or woman on a bus in order that the drivers and passengers feel a little more secure. Imagine that nearly 93% of people have witnessed assaults or antisocial behaviour on public transport. The part of that survey, which was quite stark, found that 73% of those people did not report the harassment. We have all sat on a bus and seen antisocial behaviour. Have we reported it? I ask the Members whether they have reported antisocial behaviour when they have seen it on a train or a bus. Clearly, 73% of people have not. New mechanisms are being set up by Dublin Bus to encourage people to report it, but it is frightening. We are not just seeing - I do not know whether one would call it this - general abuse, but specific abuse including homophobic and racists assaults. We are not just seeing it on buses. We are seeing it on our streets. However, we can tackle it on public transport.

It is very evident as to what the solution is. We need to see political support. We can do something. Senator Fitzpatrick, other Senators and I, can bring a Private Members' Bill to establish a separate transport police such as there is in the UK, but there should be absolutely no need for that. An Garda Síochána has the knowledge and trust. People trust An Garda Síochána. When they see a garda on a bus, there is visibility and more adherence to the rule of law. We do not wish to have to go down that road and bring a Private Members' Bill. We hope there will be the political will to set this up. I hope senior members of An Garda Síochána are watching us today and listening to what we have to say about our own research. Perhaps they will re-examine the matter. Perhaps they will re-examine it on a pilot basis on Nightlink buses and certain routes and extend the idea of transport police, to see if it works out and if people feel safer, and do research accordingly. It is long overdue and I am very glad we are tabling this motion today. I hope we will get support from across the House.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. I agree with much of this motion. No one should have to fear for their safety in the course of doing their jobs, least of all those who are out serving our communities day in and day out, as are our bus drivers. The motion states, "this increase is dissuading the public from utilising the transport network". It absolutely is. Reducing fares on public transport was a great call. Making it safe by having constant, regular security on board and making it nice, clean and aesthetically pleasing will boost its user figures even more. If using public transport was a pleasant experience, it would do more to get people using it than any carbon tax could.

According to the motion, "there is a recent increase in anti-social behaviour on public transport across the country". It is not really so. Throughout the country though it is, it is just certain parts of Dublin. Let us call a spade a spade. This motion is all going great and looking great. It then calls for, "the establishment of a dedicated Public Transport Unit within An Garda Síochána".The proposal contained in this motion is unworkable because we do not have enough gardaí. We spoke about this in November during a debate that took place when antisocial behaviour in this city had reached levels the House could no longer ignore. In 2022, the Garda hired 94 new recruits, a reduction of 75% on 2021 when we had 385 new recruits. The target for 2022 was 800. I pointed out that more than 11,000 people had applied since the previous competition opened in April last year. Between April and November, slightly more than 20 recruits entered the college. That disparity points to the existence of serious flaws in the Garda recruitment system. This must be examined as a matter of urgency if the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner are to have any chance of tackling the issues we are discussing today.

Slightly more than 100 members of An Garda Síochána resigned in favour of other careers last year. New figures show the number of gardaí in the force is now almost 650 fewer than the peak of 14,750 in March 2020. Some are blaming the low numbers passing the Garda fitness test and argue that we should make the test easier because 17% of cadets failed it. That is rubbish, a terrible idea. Who wants unfit gardaí? It is not only about being unfit. A recruit, who is now a trainee garda, stated that the parameters of the test are known and candidates have weeks to train. If they fail, that is on them. People who want to be gardaí and know exactly what the parameters of the test are go into the test and fail it. People who do so logically lack foresight, discipline or an objective view of their capabilities. If any of those are true, in the eyes of most people, they need more training to be a garda. A reporter from theIrish Daily Mail, Ian Begley, took the test. He is a normal bloke. He almost passed, failing only the bleep test by a narrow margin. He stated: "However, I believe that if I had a few weeks to prepare and if my ambition to have the career as a guard depended on it, I would have passed the fitness exam with reasonable ease."

Gardaí who have spoken to major media outlets say the combination of Garda numbers failing and the bleeding away of personnel into the new and expanded specialist units has been a devastating double whammy for the front line. We need more gardaí and security on public transport but we also need them walking the beat. The establishment of a dedicated public transport unit will be unworkable if the only place it can draw gardaí from is the street. The people committing crime know the response will be slow, if it comes at all. The lack of gardaí emboldens criminals and enables crime. The Minister for Justice and Garda Commissioner must urgently decide what will be done to remedy this and communicate it to the public.

Last weekend, a garda suffered serious personal injury. Very few people want to join the Garda today. Only 94 were trained last year. The Minister should not be nodding his head. He must get more people into the Garda. Perhaps we are not paying them enough. People deserve safety and security on our streets, in every street, and there should not be antisocial behaviour. If we had enough gardaí on the beat on our streets, it would certainly be lessened. It is up to the Minister to get those gardaí on the beat.

Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
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The Fine Gael group supports this motion. It makes eminent sense, as all Senators recognise. We are all aware of the difficulties experienced by bus and train drivers and other public transport workers who have had to deal with antisocial behaviour and worse on public transport routes, not only on Dublin Bus, but also on other routes. It is important that there is a clear response from the Government and An Garda Síochána to deal with that and to send out the message that it will not be tolerated. It cannot be tolerated.

As the motion correctly points out, it is negating the significant infrastructure the State has put into public transport, again correctly. The availability of public transport is tremendously important, not only from the point of view of the environmental consequences, taking traffic off the road, allowing people to use much more sustainable forms of transport, but also from the point of view of getting people to work, the shops and other places they need to go without clogging up the roads and doing so in an affordable way. We all recognise the importance of public transport and of that system being safe, secure and welcoming for the people for whom it is put in place.

I do not agree that this motion is unworkable. There have been calls for a transport police and I do not support that. In the UK for example, there is a transport police which is not a police force but essentially a glorified series of security guards. It is tremendously important that we do not emulate that model because it is not what we need. It does not reflect the seriousness of the situation. On the Luas and other services, private security guards boarding trams may well have a deterrent effect but I do not like seeing them there. We should not be putting law and order into the hands of private individuals. We have a police force, one which, as has been said, is very well respected, well regarded and trusted because of the manner in which it approaches both the detection of crime and dealing with the consequences of crime. It is important that we respect the fact that An Garda Síochána is in place and therefore a Garda unit would be a much better way to deal with this than a transport police.

For those who say this is unworkable, the apparent reason is that we do not have enough gardaí, notwithstanding that we have more gardaí and there has been more Government investment in An Garda Síochána than there has been since the force's foundation. The most recent budget, when the Government invested hundreds of millions of euro in policing, is another example of that. It is certainly possible to pick a statistic from last year about how many gardaí were trained, given the hangover from lockdowns and so forth, but the reality is that we have more gardaí available now than ever. Even if we put aside the numbers, we have also invested in the civilianisation of Garda services, putting more than 400 people into civilian roles in Garda stations to free up fully trained uniformed members who were doing those jobs and put them out on the street to police. I do not accept that there is a deficit in policing as a general rule, which is not to say there are no criticisms to be made or that we cannot do with more gardaí and resources.

The starting point for some people in criticising in this debate is to say we should have a garda on every street corner. That is neither feasible nor desirable. When there is a garda on every street corner, it is de facto a police state. That is not what we want. We want effective, well-resourced policing that can get into the places where there are problems, deal with them and move on and can leave the prosecution of those people to the Courts Service or whatever other agency is dealing with it. The Garda must allow that to happen. Of course we can better resource the Garda. We always can, but let us not start from the position of saying there is some kind of failure of resources. There will always be a need for resources in An Garda Síochána. That is true of every police force in the world. However, we have a tremendously safe country with fewer problems of violent crime than other countries, including in the European Union. That will be cold comfort to anyone who has been the victim of an assault, has been on a bus when a fight has broken out or has been present when antisocial behaviour has occurred.

What we must do now is put the mechanisms in place that allow the State, through An Garda Síochána, to ensure that when an incident happens there is a solution, someone is there or there is a quick response. The best way to do that is to put in place a specific unit which is not only available to go to the scene of these incidents and deal with them, but is specially trained and tasked to deal with them and has the competencies that are required beyond the ordinary training gardaí receive to go to scenes and deal with these issues. For example, I am aware - this is something that has been discussed and I look forward to listening to what the Minister of State has to say - that the Cathaoirleach, as my party's former transport spokesperson, has spoken in favour of this in other meetings. It is an ongoing discussion.

Let there be no mistake, however. No one in Fine Gael - I cannot speak for other parties but I suspect that no one from any party in these Houses - is in any doubt about the seriousness of this issue or the need to deal with it. Steps are being taken now. Let us not pour cold water on those steps. Let us acknowledge that progress has been made and, rather than picking selective statistics, let us recognise that there are concrete steps we can take. We can put in place the dedicated unit that is called for in the motion. We can implement both an outward signal and an effective measure to deal with this kind of crime.

Vincent P Martin (Green Party)
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The Green Party, An Comhaontas Glas, commends the Fianna Fáil group for tabling this motion and is pleased to support the motion.

The Minister for Justice has previously stated that "there is no proposal to establish a specific unit ... the Garda Commissioner will always keep these matters under review" if problems got worse. It is clear that the problem is not getting any better and now is the time to review the situation. I hope that, by virtue of tabling this motion, which I hope has the full support of this House, and with the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, in attendance in the Chamber, that all this will give added momentum to the call to provide a transport unit within the Garda to protect passengers.

The fact that Garda numbers and resources may be under pressure is not a reason to condemn the motion as unworkable. I believe that a simple solution is to ensure that there are enough gardaí. To have this motion accepted as a policy position tonight would mean that other things would fall into place and their expenditure would be prioritised to ensure we have the resources to carry this out.

We need to listen to people on public transport and particularly the drivers who know very well what is going on. The National Bus and Rail Union has described some of the experiences of its members on buses. Its members have faced issues such sexual harassment, physical violence and open drug use. For the first six months of 2021, there were a total of 3,061 incidents recorded on the Garda PULSE system that were related to using public transport in Dublin. The Dublin Bus service to west Tallaght has been suspended from 6 p.m. since two weeks ago. The initiative is the result of an uptick in violence, attacks and vandalism with 35 incidents in December in west Tallaght alone. No-one can blame drivers for not wanting to take such serious risks in their daily lives. It is an absolutely intolerable situation where people trying to earn a living must face such stress and potential physical and mental damage, and such infliction of injury, in their honest endeavours to earn a livelihood.

It is encouraging to see gardaí were present on some of these routes in recent weeks and that will help passengers and drivers to feel safer. This may be a solution ahead and I mean the introduction of a dedicated transport unit. I felt sorry for the decent people of west Tallaght because they all have suffered this inconvenience. Clearly, the safety of bus drivers is a priority but it is unfair for all of the west Tallaght community to suffer at the hands of a few. It is unfair that the good reputation and hard work of that community has suffered such bad publicity caused by the actions of some people either in the area or visiting the area. That is so unfortunate and unfair on the wonderful people of Tallaght. I know that because I taught in a secondary school in Tallaght for a year and found it to be an enriching experience.

Preventing violence is not only important for people's safety, there are knock-on consequences for usage and our climate goals because if people do not feel safe they will not use public transport. This Government supports a number of initiatives. In respect of pricing, the Government has reduced fares for everyone by 20% and by a further 50% on top of that for young people. For frequency and services, the Government is progressing BusConnects around the country. The Government has greatly increased services in rural areas, villages and towns through the Connecting Ireland strategy. However, much more needs to be done and I hope that it will be done. The Government is investing billions of euro into newer fleets and electric buses and trains, as well as opening new stations.

Safety and security concerning the overall experience of public transport seems to be the last stumbling block that we must tackle to take the next steps in the transport sector. I would like to see a quiet but effective revolution in transport. We need a seismic shift in that direction and so much more needs to be done. Not having proper policing of public transport is a massive stumbling block. We cannot let the narrative that public transport is not safe discourage people from using it because 99% of journeys occur without incident. We have ambitious goals for carbon reduction and increasing the number of journeys on public transport. The national sustainability strategy has an aim of 500,000 additional daily active travel and public transport journeys by 2030. In addition, the transport strategy for the greater Dublin area provides for same in the greater Dublin area.

I hope that tonight will be a statement of intent. I wish to make a point that is not directly on message. I would like to see the restoration of catering services on intercity rail services. Perhaps the stumbling block to restoration is the threat of vandalism on trains. Catering on trains made travelling by train a pleasant experience.

I support this motion. If there is a will then there is a way and we must see progress in this area. I hope we will all unite in the House to send a singular message and a clarion call to the Government to move on this issue. We must have members of An Garda Síochána, not security guards, at the heart of the solution, which is done in other countries. Finally, we should have a zero tolerance of misbehaviour, poor conduct and criminality on our trains and buses.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom mo leithscéal a ghabháil leis an Aire Stáit agus leis na moltóirí as tús na díospóireachta a chailliúint. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I apologise to the proposers and the Minister of State for missing the first part of this debate but welcome the opportunity to speak on this important motion.

As the Minister of State will know, Sinn Féin's justice spokesperson, Deputy Martin Kenny, has called for a transport policing division for quite some time. In fact, it is a priority for Sinn Féin to see the division set up as a matter of urgency.

For over two years, transport policing has been a mainstay of our justice policy. Last November in the Dáil, Deputy Kenny called on the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Transport and the Government, to resource the Garda to enable it to set up a transport policing division. The call was prompted by a number of serious concerns such as the criminal attacks and antisocial behaviour of a small number of people who had a big negative impact on public transport and on transport hubs. There is also the Government's repeated failure to properly address the declining numbers in An Garda Síochána.

Sinn Féin supports the motion but in doing so I ask the Government parties here, which sponsored this motion, the following. Why has it taken so long for them to respond to the attacks on public transport and at transport hubs? Why has it taken so long for the Government to react? Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been in office in one guise or another for well over ten years. In real terms, as has been mentioned, we are having this much-needed public debate on a transport division. We also need to raise the issue of the depletion in Garda numbers across the State and, in particular, the Dublin area. To ensure that a transport division, were it to be set up, is effective then the Government must have a credible plan to increase the number of gardaí in terms of its rank and file members, with a focus on sustained visibility throughout Dublin and returning public order units to pre-pandemic levels. In the last decade the Government has presided over a decline amounting to 760 gardaí in the Dublin region alone. In recent months, Iarnród Éireann has introduced private security staff on its trains. What a sad indictment that it has had to do that? It is not the proper answer to this issue. However, these security firms do not have the power to detain or arrest.

As other colleagues have acknowledged and stated, there is widespread support for the introduction of a transport policing division. This was reflected in conversations that Sinn Féin had with key stakeholders, the exceptions being the Department of Justice and the Department of Transport. The initiative is supported by the Garda and the National Bus and Rail Union crucially. I hope that the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Transport will, through the Minister of State present, act speedily if this motion is passed, and I hope that it is.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for his brevity.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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Get it done.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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It was Senator Boyhan's amendment.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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It was a good debate. Senator Sherlock is correct.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome our guests in the Public Gallery. They have a particular interest in this matter.

I was on a train recently - not in inner city Dublin, but I will not say what part of the country - and I became aware of a gentleman being very abusive towards a staff member of Iarnród Éireann who was just checking tickets. There was no physical abuse involved but the person was being ignorant towards, and shouting and roaring at, a lovely employee of Iarnród Éireann. She was a lovely lady. I thought it was very bad form. While I would not say it was a criminal offence, the individual certainly needed to be ticked off by a garda or somebody else. I almost got involved myself and I said maybe I should not. When the lady came to check my ticket, I said that it was unacceptable, and I know other people on that train thought it was unacceptable.

There is a no doubt that there is a need to develop a public transport unit in An Garda Síochána. I very much support what Senator Fitzpatrick has brought forward. It is up to the Government to do it, but we have brought it to the floor of the House and have a Minister of State here so we are going in the right direction. As far as I can see, while there might be some difference of opinion, everybody wants this and that is very important.

Apart from fully supporting Senator Fitzpatrick and my other colleagues, Senator Sherlock hit on one thing that I have noticed myself, which is the lack of life around many of our train stations. Most of the incidents occur in city areas but incidents do occur in the country as well, although, we may not hear as much about them. There is a lack of individuals Iarnród Éireann workers. Perhaps it is due to the way they are rostered, or whatever, but you might see only one some days, two on another day, or you might not see anyone. I am talking about places like Longford and Athlone where you do not see too many people around. When staff are not there, people can be seen loitering around trains stations. Sometimes they do not get on the train; sometimes they do.

We must also look at this situation in the context of the emphasis on public transport. We are all being told this is the way to go. Never until recently did I leave my car at home. I now divide my time 50:50 travelling from Roscommon by train. I go into Longford town because it is closer to me. I am spending half the time I used to spend travelling in my car. An amount of people want to use the trains. It is a lovely journey. The more people using the system, the more we have to ensure there is a proper service for them.

I have listened to and read many of the points on the motion made by those in the audience. There are important issues facing front-line workers and they need support. I spoke in the Chamber yesterday about the disgraceful attacks being perpetrated against members of An Garda Síochána and I got huge support for it. I made the point that it is about time we stood up for all front-line workers and publicly give them support. Many people will not say anything. They are very private about this and will not say anything about it. I am talking about people in public life. We must attack all the attacks on our front-line workers and we must put in place a service that will ensure they, and their passengers, are safe and cut out the nonsense that is going on. The attacks are utterly and totally unacceptable. Many Members have referred to these attacks. They must be stamped out. Until we put a system in place, where we have a dedicated unit, that will not happen.

Let us remember that two gardaí walking up and down a platform can also be very good to see. Their presence is important. We have a commitment to 1,000 new recruits to An Garda Síochána in 2023, which is fully funded. There is also funding for extra Garda staff.I accept what Senator Keogan said about some problems regarding people not being able to get through, but we will rectify that. We do need to get those 1,000 gardaí into the system as quickly as possible. I hope that out of this we would have a dedicated Garda unit. This is something I would totally support. It is a good discussion to have here in the Chamber. I am sure that Senator Fitzpatrick and the rest of her colleagues will be bringing it forward, but, as a group of Senators, we should be very much on this in order to make sure that it can become a reality as quickly as possible.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I welcome the Private Members' motion. I also welcome the Minister of State and thank him for coming.

I want to dwell on the issue of the establishment of a dedicated public transport unit within An Garda Síochána. Before I came here for the debate, I did a search on all press coverage on this issue from a few months ago. I have a printout. I was quoted in the Irish Daily Mailwhere I expressed my disappointment at the Government parties in the Seanad for rejecting a similar proposal to that which we are discussing today. There are a number of other ones, and I would be happy to share them. I do not, however, want to play politics here. I just want to identify a few facts, as Senator Sherlock said. On 3 November 2022, in a transcript provided from a debate held in the House, I said:

I move amendment No. 1:

To insert the following paragraph under "calls on the Government to:"

"- collaborate with An Garda Síochána, the NTA and public transport stakeholders to establish a dedicated Transport Policing Unit on the public transport network;".

I called a vote on the amendment. Some people may say "You are a bit of a pain in the arse over there with a few others in the Opposition", but it is good because we have the names. I do not propose to read them out.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Please do.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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The people know who they are. I want to use my time constructively.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Please do.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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The people know who they are. I want to use my time constructively.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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One voice please. Senator Boyhan has possession. The Senator to continue without interruption, please.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I can say that some of them are present in the House. We called for a very similar policing unit and we had an extensive debate on the matter. The Cathaoirleach made a very engaging and constructive contribution - it takes up quite a lot of the debate transcript. Senator Horkan was in the Chair that day. I will not go into all of that now, but I am glad to see that there has been a bit of change. We are all entitled to change our minds. I genuinely believe that. The Minister of State is in government, but the point is that we need to speak with one voice. In the Irish Daily Mailarticle to which I refer, I stated, "The Government needs to speak with one voice and develop a clear strategy on a dedicated transport police". On the motion, the article indicates that I noted "that Fine Gael TDs such as Alan Farrell and Neale Richmond [and An Tánaiste, Deputy Leo Varadkar] had come out in favour of such a unit." Fair play to them. The Minister for Justice was quoted in the article as saying "I am advised that An Garda Síochána does not propose to establish a dedicated transport policing unit at this time ... Gardaí are conducting both overt and covert patrols of various public transport networks". At the time, I congratulated Deputy Neale Richmond, who has since become a Minister of State, for his decisive action. He, too, issued a substantial number of calls for the establishment of such a unit. I was of the view then that it was time to look forward.

On a number of other occasions, I spoke in detail about women feeling vulnerable and harassed on public transport.I drew attention to the very important document Travelling in a Woman's Shoes, which was commissioned by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII. It shared the experiences of a large number of Irish women around their fear for their safety when using public transport, cycling or walking alone. Arup conducted this research, which is very important. It surveyed more than 1,000 women and men through various interviews around their fears when using public transport. It all supports what is being said here.

I also spoke about a number of other aspects of this matter. Of the people who were surveyed by Arup, 55% said that they would not use public transport after dark and 34% said that they felt afraid or insecure on the public travel network. The Luas was mentioned in detail, as well as public buses, trains and the DART. Women felt unsafe about historical violent incidents they had seen or heard about in the media. The key issues in this report, from the people who had experienced these issues, were verbal harassment, violent behaviour and sexual harassment. High-visibility policing is an issue for people, as are the use of more CCTV, a public campaign and the introduction of a zero tolerance policy by the Government. The key issue of this Arup report is that there should be a major focus on the well-being of women and on their feeling safe when travelling on public transport.

I take it that there has been a change of heart. People will have looked at it and reflected on the matter in those few months. I support it and I will be supporting it but let us be clear here: we cannot have a situation where a few months ago the then Minister for Justice said that she was against it while the Tánaiste was in favour of it. I am trying to be constructive when I say this. Let us speak with one voice on the issue. If there is a commitment to roll out a dedicated policing network on our public transport corridors, then let us proceed to do so. I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's response but it is important that everyone - women, men and children, old and young - must feel secure and must feel safe when using our public transport. There was a modal shift in Government policy that was a proactive policy for getting people out of cars and walking, cycling and using public transport to their place of work and for leisure purposes in their communities. To gain more momentum with that policy it is important to put out a highly visible network.

I wish to thank the union officials I have engaged with. I thank the officials and the people who are here in the Chamber. This is an important issue. Hopefully, we will have support right across the House for the motion. I again thank the sponsors of the motion for pursuing this matter.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I join all Members in welcoming the officials from SIPTU. I thank them and their colleagues for the work they do every day on our behalf. Please convey our thanks to your colleagues as well.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail)
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Tá mé an-sásta go bhfuil an rún seo ó Fhianna Fáil faoi bhráid an tSeanaid inniu. Cuirim fáilte ollmhór roimh an Aire Stáit. Tá ár gcóras iompar poiblí an-tábhachtach dúinn agus go háirithe do mhuintir Bhaile Átha Cliath. Is é an t-iompar poiblí an t-iompar is fearr dár dtimpeallacht agus dár sláinte. Caithfimid é a fheabhsú chun Baile Átha Cliath a fheabhsú mar chathair bheo, áit ina dtugtar tús áite don phobal áitiúil.

Chun an fhírinne a rá bíonn sé deacair uaireanta iompar poiblí a úsáid toisc nach bhfuil sé sábháilte an t-am ar fad. Tá sé feicthe againn go léir. Tá méadú tagtha ar iompar frithshóisialta ar iompar poiblí agus tá sé náireach i ndáiríre. Tá daoine neirbhíseach. Tá eagla orthu roimh fhoréigean agus imeaglú. Tá na hoibrithe iompar poiblí i mbaol chomh maith agus níl sé inghlactha a thuilleadh. Ní mhothaíonn siad sábháilte ina n-ionad oibre agus tá sé sin an-tromchúiseach agus an-tábhachtach. Caithfimid éisteacht leo. Níl sé inghlactha a thuilleadh. Tá iompar do-ghlactha feicthe againn go léir.

Rinne mo chomhghleacaí, an Seanadóir Fitzpatrick, tagairt do roinnt eachtraí uafásacha a tharla le déanaí ar iompar poiblí. Chomh maith leis sin, mar ghrúpa, rinneamar suirbhé ar cheist an iompair fhrithshóisialta ar mhodhanna éagsúla iompar poiblí agus tá an suirbhé sin ag mo chomhghleacaí os mo chomhair.

Rinne an Seanadóir Ardagh tagairt don ghá le sábháilteacht a mhéadú chun daoine a spreagadh chun iompar poiblí a úsáid agus chun daoine nach bhfuil aon chineáil iompair eile ar fáil dóibh a chosaint. Caithfidh siad úsáid a bhaint as an gcóras sin. Tá go leor airgid á chaitheamh ag an Stát ar an infreastruchtúr iompar poiblí a fhorbairt ach tá iompar frithshóisialta ag baint an mheasa as sin. Cuireann sé sin frustrachas orm i ndáiríre. Tá pobal áirithe ag fulaingt go géar amhail na daoine atá ag maireachtáil in iarthar Tamhlachta.

Tá mé ag impí ar an Aire Stáit glacadh lenár rún agus fíorbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar aonad iompair thiomanta laistigh den Gharda Síochána a bhunú. Tá sé de dhíth le fada an lá. Tá tacaíocht thraspháirtí faighte ag an rún anocht agus tá mé an-sásta é sin a fheiceáil. Guím gach rath ar an Aire Stáit ina chuid oibre agus impím air glacadh leis an rún seo.

Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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I am at a massive disadvantage in that I have not heard any of this debate, but I did want to contribute to it. The area I represent is Dublin West and Dublin 15. We have the train line and we have buses.Nobody is in any doubt about the increase in antisocial behaviour on public transport. There have been ongoing issues in Pelletstown, Ashtown and Castleknock. It is a recurring theme for any local policing forum or justice and policing committee. I commend the community gardaí on their engagement locally with communities, their attentiveness and their ongoing patrols in the area. It is not an easy job.

Transport units seem to work well in other countries. We are at a worrying stage in regard to antisocial behaviour, both for staff and for the people who are choosing not to use public transport because of the behaviour. It is an issue that can be seasonal in certain areas. In January, we are beginning to think about the summer. There must be preparation from the spring onwards not just for antisocial behaviour on public transport but also the criminal activity that is connected with it, involving travelling gangs, burglaries, theft and drug use.

Another issue relates to resources within the Garda. I feel for the Minister of State at this time. The Department has made this issue a priority and there are significant identified targets that must be met. There is a high level of trust in and respect for the Garda Síochána, which I desperately want to see maintained. That will require the continual resourcing of and support for the force. We have to think about how to make being a garda attractive. There have been many reports in the media recently of young gardaí leaving the force after a couple of years for jobs in the private sector. I have heard about instance of this from people to whom I have spoken. We need to look at how we protect the role of garda, which has always been a vocation and seen as a job for life, through pay and pension provisions and better working conditions. One of the issues that has been mentioned to me concerns making rosters more consistent in order that people can plan ahead, have security and achieve a work-life balance. They need to know what it looks like to have a life outside of work. The provision of body cameras is another recurring issue. There is widespread support for their use and everyone is keen to see that implemented.

There is ongoing advertising of positions in the Garda. How we brand one of the most important jobs in the country is really important. Members of the force saw us through the Covid period and they are essential to us on the front line. That needs to be borne in mind whenever the roles are advertised. We must maintain the levels of trust and respect people have for the Garda. That is precious and there must be investment in maintaining it. At the moment, all we are hearing about, which is understandable, is the increase in antisocial behaviour. We must remind everyone of the importance of being a garda and the role gardaí play in our communities. They must be given the continuing respect they deserve.

There is a concern that if a transport unit is set up, it will involve pulling resources from situations elsewhere in which gardaí are already struggling. We need to look at the idea of a transport unit in response to the acute issues that are happening, but we must look at the issue from a holistic perspective, taking account of how the justice system is working. We certainly must focus on resources in general and supporting the people who are so important to our communities and to our work in the Oireachtas.

John McGahon (Fine Gael)
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I will not use the full six minutes I have been allocated. I am coming in at the end of the debate but there are a couple of points I want to make. I debated this issue only two weeks ago, when a representative of Dublin Bus outlined the severity of the situation in terms of the numbers of public transport workers who have encountered some very sticky situations. I made the point that this is not just an issue for Dublin Bus or in Dublin; it is an issue that is faced by transport workers around the country, whether in major urban centres or in rural areas.

We must look at this issue in the context of the huge plans we have to expand public transport over the next five to ten years. We want everybody using public transport and we want it to be as accessible as possible and running at all hours of the day. We are implementing a huge modal shift to get people out of cars and onto public transport. The goal is that in the next five to ten years, more people than ever before will be using public transport. This huge increase the Government is planning in public transport provision is the context we must consider on one level. On the other level, we must look at how public transport can be properly policed to ensure people feel safe using it. That is why this issue is coming to the fore. It is all well and good to say a transport police unit might not be useful at this point in time. I can accept that argument in some contexts and at some times of the day. However, it will not suffice as we continue the massive expansion in public transport that is planned. That is the first angle from which I am coming on this issue.

The second angle to consider is that nobody should have to go to work in this country and wonder whether they will encounter abuse that day. Female transport workers should not have to worry about working on a particular route at 9 p.m., 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. in case they are caught somewhere by themselves. Nobody should go into any job in this country and have to worry about what type of violence, abuse or intimidation they might meet. Whether we like it or not, visible policing really does act as a viable deterrent. If there is visible policing, whether on the street or on public transport, it acts as a deterrent in the first instance for anyone who is thinking of doing anything abusive. Second, it provides a great level of comfort for the people using the service.

When I speak in the Chamber, I try not to give anecdotal evidence. However, many constituents and others have raised a particular issue with me. I use Dublin city as an example. People might find they cannot get a taxi home and then four, five or six nitelink buses pass by that are completely full. They are left stranded on the street at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. and must then walk home. If we are trying to increase the level of nitelink services and other public transport options at night, we must ensure they are policed in some way, shape or form. We cannot do that without having some sort of physical presence of members of An Garda Síochána. I mention the Garda specifically because the policing presence must come from a dedicated, well-resourced unit of the force. It cannot be like in the UK, for example, where there is almost a quasi-judicial force put in place by the private companies that provide rail transport. The people who make up a transport police service must be fully trained and qualified members of An Garda Síochána. We are moving into a new, modern era, with new ways of policing. In this modern era, the Garda Síochána, or any police force, needs to include some sort of transport unit.To conclude and reframe this issue, on the one hand, as a Government we cannot convince people to move towards public transport and to promote it at all hours of the evening and night in order for people to get home safely. We cannot advocate and open up new transport routes and encourage people to get back on public transport while at the same time not providing a certain level of safety. As the significant increase in people using public transport materialises in the coming years and as more routes become available on trains, buses and Nitelink services, whether we like it or not, we will have to have examples of visible policing on those transport routes.

This has been a good debate. It is something we are right to discuss. We have listened to the many accounts of public transport workers around the country who have to deal with the situation. They are the people facing this every day. We owe it to them and commuters and others who will use public transport to provide a visible policing deterrent on those services.

Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate Senator Fitzpatrick on the work she has done on the motion. The Fianna Fáil Dublin group has been doing a lot of work in this area: conducting research and speaking to all the stakeholders. There is consensus across the House that transport workers should feel safe. As previous Senators said, nobody should go to work filled with fear of the unknown or be afraid that somebody is going to explode. Workers do not feel safe, and they fear something terrible is going to happen.

As customers and users of public transport we must also have an expectation that we will feel safe. I have travelled on the Belfast to Dublin train late at night and I did not feel 100% safe, in particular as a woman. There could be a group of people drinking, for example, or whatever else, which makes one uncomfortable. Laws are a deterrent, and there must be a deterrent or possibility of getting caught for doing something wrong. It seems that the transport system is a bit of a free-for-all, because there is no security. Private security is paid for with no enforcement. The State is paying for a lot of private security, and we are not getting the benefit of it. We must find a way to move forward with the motion and to put it into practice so that we can get the Garda to provide a fully-fledged transport police. People should have the expectation of safety and respect for their human dignity, as well as the expectation that justice will be served. Justice is a deterrent.

I again congratulate my colleague, Senator Fitzpatrick, on all the work she has done on the motion, and the work that led to tonight's debate, which I support.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senators for the opportunity today to respond to this important motion. I am here on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, who unfortunately cannot be present.

Before I address the motion before the House, I condemn the assault on a member of An Garda Síochána over the weekend. I wish him a speedy recovery. A person has been charged, and in those circumstances I cannot comment any further on that particular incident. An attack on a member of An Garda Síochána carrying out his or her duties is not only an attack on the victim; it is an attack on his or her family, colleagues, and the community. Anyone who would carry out such an attack deserves to be condemned. The local community was shocked and appalled at this incident, as we all are.

I will now turn to the motion. The Minister and I are very clear that criminality and antisocial behaviour have no place in our society or on our transport systems. Everyone has a right to commute in peace, comfort, and safety. Public transport workers provide a vital service for some of the most vulnerable in society in all weathers and, at all times, deserve to work in an environment that is safe. The Government is clear in its commitment to community safety. Everyone deserves to be safe and to feel safe, including if they are using a bus to travel to the shops, the train to commute to work or the Luas to enjoy an evening socialising in the capital. That principle is central to my Department’s mission of a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland. It is also central to our community safety policy, and the provisions of new legislation such as the policing, security and community safety Bill. Any form of violence or criminality on public transport is unacceptable. Such incidents not only injure the victims but communities as a whole. The safety and security of both the public transport passengers and staff are of paramount importance. Arrangements to deal with criminality and antisocial behaviour are important matters that, first and foremost, must be managed by every public transport company in conjunction with An Garda Síochána, where appropriate.

As Senators will all be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended, the Commissioner is independent and responsible for the management and administration of Garda business. This includes all operational policing matters, together with the establishment of Garda units. The Minister has been advised that the Garda Commissioner does not intend to establish a dedicated transport police unit at this time, as he is of the view that the policing needs of public transport are being met on a daily basis through community policing. The Government is, however, committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, as demonstrated by the unprecedented allocation of more than €2.14 billion in the budget for 2023.

I will briefly outline some of the actions undertaken by An Garda Síochána, both generally and in particular in the Tallaght area. I am informed that the assistant commissioner for the Dublin metropolitan region met with the CEO of Dublin Bus and senior management. She provided reassurance that An Garda Síochána will continue to provide a proactive response in support of Dublin Bus staff and other transport workers and operators in the west Tallaght area. This is part of the ongoing extensive engagement between Garda management and transport operators, including the NTA, Irish Rail and Transdev Ireland, operators of the Luas, to provide a high visibility presence through a co-ordinated approach.

My Department is further informed that there is ongoing communication between An Garda Síochána and the respective public transport control centres. Access to good quality CCTV can provide assistance to gardaí when investigating serious incidents. It is my understanding that the entire Dublin Bus fleet is fully fitted with CCTV cameras, with up to 11 internal cameras and three external cameras fitted on the fleet of more modern vehicles.

Since October 2022, additional Garda patrols have been undertaken in the west Tallaght area in particular as part of Operation Saul. The operation is implemented across the Dublin region, with the aim of keeping people safe on public transport services. The operation’s objective is to further support, enhance and strengthen the strategic and operational objectives of Operation Citizen, the Garda operation to reassure people that Dublin city centre is a safe place to live, work and visit.

Operation Saul aims to provide a safe environment for commuters using public transport services in the city. An Garda Síochána has put in place a range of regional and local operations to prevent, pre-empt and detect instances of criminality and antisocial behaviour. For example, Operation Twin Tracks, a community engagement and rail safety policing initiative was conducted by the Garda in partnership with other public transport providers last year. The purpose of the operation was to provide high-visibility policing of rail and light rail transport within the Dublin metropolitan region, and the rail networks in train stations nationwide. Two days of action were held on 3 June and 29 July last year, involving high-visibility patrolling operations between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. on each day within the Dublin region at Connolly and Heuston stations and nationwide on eight intercity routes. Local crime prevention officers and community policing gardaí were available to deliver crime prevention advice and community engagement crime prevention stands at a number of stations between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on each of these days. Garda management has advised that further days of action will be held under Operation Twin Tracks in 2023, although these dates are yet to be confirmed.

The Department of Transport has informed my Department that a range of actions is also undertaken with the NTA and the individual transport operators. The authority regularly engages with public transport operators on antisocial behaviour. It has established a working group on antisocial behaviour that meets monthly to discuss any developing trends among public transport operators and shares best practice.With regard to Dublin Bus specifically, as I mentioned, each vehicle is equipped with CCTV and a radio, which facilitates immediate contact with its control centre. In cases of serious incidents on board a bus, central control co-ordinates with emergency services such as An Garda Síochána and ambulance services, as required. All Dublin Bus employees are fully trained on the procedures for dealing with specific challenging situations, including antisocial behaviour. Mobile inspectors in the city centre are also available to attend instances, as required.

Dublin Bus has a strong and close working relationship with An Garda Síochána and has set up a number of community forums in different areas across the city. The company is also a member of the NTA's national working group, which I have mentioned. In addition to this, Dublin Bus also operated a school education programme that involved educating young people about the importance of the bus in their lives and in their local community. The work of their school and community co-ordinators has also proved highly successful in encouraging young people to respect bus services and has assisted greatly in the reduction of instances of antisocial behaviour.

Improving community safety requires all sectors to work together with strong agency collaboration across State agencies and engagement from the community. The most effective way we can improve community safety over the longer term is through the empowerment of local communities combined with support from the State. This is the focus of the community safety policy; to use evidence-based approaches to tackle the root causes and these issues and address them locally.

My Department is working on a multi-agency approach to the underlying causes of crime to tack tangible action to tackle criminal and antisocial behaviour. In addition to introducing local community safety partnerships, for example, pilots for which are currently running in Dublin's north inner city and counties Longford and Waterford, we are giving An Garda Síochána additional tools and technology to fight crime in a digital era by introducing legislation to provide by body-worn cameras, improved community CCTV schemes and with expanded use of automatic number plate recognition, ANPR.

We are providing a range of community sanctions to be used to address criminality, reduce reoffending and provide protection to the public. We are introducing legislation to criminalise the grooming of children to commit criminal offences for which the Minister secured Cabinet approval on 18 January. We will continue to roll out the community intervention programme, Greentown, which seeks to break the link between children who are engaged or at the risk of engaging with criminal gangs in parallel with this new legislation. Separately, the Minister for Transport is providing the gardaí with new powers to seize and stop the illegal use of scramblers.

It is also important to note that generally, Ireland is a safe country. Our crime rates are comparatively low, although there is, of course, always room to improve. The factors underlying the instances of crime are the subject of ongoing academic and expert research. My Department engages with the research community to monitor trends and emerging evidence.

I can assure the house that crime trends are analysed on a monthly basis by An Garda Síochána at divisional meetings. If trends are recognised, resources are dedicated to combat the identified issues. When specific crime trends or patterns are identified, local Garda management considers additional measures outside of normal policing responses including locations of specific patrols, intelligence-led operations and search and arrest to combat known individuals involved in such crimes. Diverting people from criminality by affording opportunity is key. Locally-targeted, evidence-based interventions are the most effective tools for improving community safety. The Minister, Deputy Harris, and I aim to further progress my Department's commitment to working with public sector colleagues, NGOs and wider society to deliver safer communities for everyone. I aim to continue this focus through justice plan 2023, which will be published shortly, and the ongoing implementation of the new justice strategy. As Minister of State, I see every day the hard work undertaken by our gardaí, the voluntary sector, community groups and dedicated civil and public servants towards that goal. We all want safe communities for people to enjoy. We all want safe, comfortable public transport available at all times to service our communities. By working in collaboration with the community, the Minister is confident that we can deliver on these goals.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate that he is deputising today for the Minister. It is disappointing that he cannot be here. I appreciate that he had other demands on his time, however. I thank everybody across the House for their support for the motion. It is a really important piece of legislation that speaks to a real need. It is not something myself or my Fianna Fáil colleagues dreamt up on our own; it is something on which many other stakeholders, be they political or non-political, have been vocal.

Because this issue was raised, I will address it. From my party's perspective, we did have this in our manifesto in the previous general election. It did not make it into the programme for Government. As flattered as I am to be referred to as being "in government", my colleagues and I support Government. We are in a coalition. I appreciate the coalition support from right across the House for this Fianna Fáil motion tonight.

The reason there is such support is because the motion speaks to a real need, not an imagined need. It is not just an anecdotal fabrication by either politicians or the media. It is based on the messaging that is coming from the people. I acknowledge the workers' representatives here today. The message is coming from people who are working day in, day out, all hours of the day and night, on all forms of public transportation be it buses, the DART or Luas or be they taxi drivers. These are people who are dedicating their working lives to providing all of us with an alternative to a private car. They are getting up early and going to bed late. They are sacrificing time with their families and their quality of life to provide all of us with an alternative option to the private car. They deserve our support and all the political support this motion is attracting tonight. This affects all of the public transport users. When I was a kid, I used to walk to school or get the bus when it was raining. The parents and guardians of kids in this city need to know that if their children go out and get on the bus, they will be safe or that if something happens, there will be somebody to intervene to make it safe again for them.

The truth of it is that I respect the Garda Commissioner and all members of An Garda Síochána. I acknowledge and respect the commitment this Government is giving to the gardaí. It is unprecedented funding of more than €2 billion per year. It is all very welcome. They have an endless task. Their job will never be done. This is an issue I will respectfully raise again, however, and I will not stop. We will not stop raising it until the gardaí are a permanent presence on our public transportation.

Our public transportation is just an extension of our public space. This is a real need. All public spaces must be safe. Senator Boyhan referenced the report entitled Travelling in a Woman’s Shoes. We walk in women's shoes every day. We do it every day and we know. There are much more vulnerable people than me or my colleagues in the world and, therefore, there is an imperative on Government to bring the message to the Garda Commissioner and work with him. The fact that gardaí were deployed on a pilot system in Tallaght is evidence of the fact that our public transportation is not safe. It is evidence of the need for Garda presence on our public transportation. I welcome the fact that there were two days of operations last year with Operation Twin Track. We do not need two days; we need every day. We need every user of our public transportation to feel safe and confident in using it. We are all committed to increasing the availability, frequency, reliability and affordability of our public transportation. It will be worth nothing if it is not safe. Nobody will use it. People will disengage. It is a real imperative for Government, not just for the Department of Justice but for all of government, to recognise that this is an issue that must be addressed going forward from a public transport perspective but also from a community safety perspective.

I appreciate the Minister of State's time. I appreciate the response the Minister sent him here with today. We will not be giving up on this issue. We are not satisfied with the response. It is not good enough in our opinion to say this issue is already being addressed. It has not been sufficiently addressed. There is so much more we need to do on it. We will continue to do so until such time as there is a Garda presence so that all of our workers and public transportation users feel safe and secure.