Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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56. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will meet with the Safer Meath Campaign at a public meeting on the growing concerns regarding crime and anti-social behaviour in County Meath. [60308/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I would like to say at the outset that this Government iscommitted to tackling anti-social behaviour and building stronger, safer communities in Meath and across the country.

It is also important to note that, generally, Ireland is a safe country. Our crime rates are comparatively low. There is, of course, always room to improve. 

Statistics from the CSO also show a decrease in a range of categories of crime, including burglaries, when compared with the pre-Covid period of 2019. 

The Deputy will be aware of the recent Government approval of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill, which marks a new departure for policing in Ireland giving effect to the recommendations made by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI). The Bill aims to improve the performance of our policing and security services to deliver on our commitment that every community has a right to be and feel safe.

To achieve this it provides for a comprehensive framework for the governance and independent oversight of policing, a new approach to improving community safety, and new arrangements to strengthen independent review of security legislation and the delivery of security services.

The complementary reforms under A Policing Service for Our Future, including the rollout of the new Garda Operating model by the Commissioner, are aimed at streamlining Garda administrative processes and increasing civilianisation so that more Garda members can be deployed to front-line policing. I am advised that over 870 members have already been reassigned as the result of civilianisation, where their training and expertise can be put to the best use.

In relation to the new approach to community safety, the Bill makes the prevention of harm, in particular to individuals who are vulnerable or at risk, a specific objective of An Garda Síochána recognising the vital work Gardaí do on the ground every day. It also embeds a whole of Government approach to promoting safer communities recognising that community safety is not something that can be achieved by An Garda Síochána and my Department alone but requires state agencies and local community representatives to work together to identify and prioritise community concerns and act to address them.

The intention is that the Bill will become law next year and be fully commenced in January 2024.

In addition, before she went on maternity leave, Minister McEntee recently welcomed the commitment of An Garda Síochána to the development of a new station to serve Laytown and the surrounding areas.

The Garda Commissioner visited Laytown on 14 November and met with Minister McEntee to discuss the new station, as well as issues of facilities, resourcing, criminality and public order.  This followed a number of other changes underway to improve the policing service being provided to the East Meath area, two of which commenced on 8th November 2022, with the transfer of Garda members.

Laytown Garda station became a core-unit response station, operating on a 24/7 basis with four core units.  This change allows for handover briefings and the exchange of information between units, and provides for enhanced supervision and governance.  

Duleek Garda station became a community policing hub with the transfer of new members to form a dedicated community policing unit. This new dedicated community policing team will provide high visibility community policing across the Ashbourne district. 

I am advised that as at 31 October 2022 there were 323 Garda members assigned to Meath Division. The number of Gardaí in the Division has grown by over 16% since 2015 when there were 277 Gardaí assigned to Meath Division.

The funding allocated in Budget 2023 to An Garda Síochána is in excess of an unprecedented €2.14 billion which will allow the Commissioner to recruit up to 1,000 new Garda members and an additional 400 Garda Staff next year.

With the continued roll out of the new Operating Model, with its focus on community engagement, I am confident that the Commissioner has the resources and plans in place to continue to deliver on An Garda Síochána's mission of 'Keeping People Safe'.