Written answers

Tuesday, 17 May 2016

Department of Justice and Equality

Ministerial Meetings

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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15. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to meet with representatives from the community sector to discuss meaningful actions to address serious violence and drug dealing in the north inner city area of Dublin. [10145/16]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that I met recently yesterday with representatives of a number of community networks based in Dublin's North Inner City, at their request, and visited a youth project in the area. We discussed a wide range of complex and serious issues that affect the community in the North Inner city including the recent murders which have caused such distress in the area.

I outlined at the meeting, as I have in response to earlier questions today, that I remain committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána have the necessary resources to confront and oppose violent crime. In this regard the Government has already moved decisively to strengthen Garda resources to deal with gang related crime in the Dublin area, with a special allocation of €5 million to support concentrated policing measures, including steps to establish a dedicated Armed Support Unit in the Dublin area. The Garda response includes highly visible policing, the use of armed checkpoints, and targeted and intelligence based operations to disrupt and prevent incidents as well as detecting and prosecuting those involved. There has been no diminution in these operations in recent weeks and the Garda authorities have assured me that the opposite is in fact the case.

Tackling the drugs trade is central to the policing measures in place to tackle community safety concerns in the North Inner City, and An Garda Síochána is a long term partner in a number of local consultative fora and engages extensively with the community in the area. My Department also funds a number Youth Diversion and Probation Projects working in the area to address offending and divert those at risk.

As I am sure the Deputy will agree, however, the broader health and social issues associated with drug misuse are not ones which the Justice sector can address on its own. In this regard, both my Department and An Garda Síochána continue to support the operation of Local Drugs Task Forces and participate in the work of the National Drugs Strategy under the aegis of the Department of Health, including in relation to the development of a new national strategy, which is currently underway.

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