Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to ensuring that people are safe and feel safe in their communities. The Commission on the Future of Policing recognised that community safety is not solely the responsibility of the Gardaí, or my Department alone, rather it is a whole of Government responsibility. This is central to both the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill and my Department's Community Safety Policy.

Dublin’s North Inner City is one of three pilot locations for the new Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs). The Partnerships will build upon and replace the existing Joint Policing Committees, bringing together Gardaí, local representatives, community organisations and representatives, and the Local Authorities and other State bodies, to draft a Community Safety Plan tailored to the community's needs. No one knows better than those who live in the community what is needed. The Dublin LCSP is due to launch their plan shortly and I commend them on the work undertaken to date.

In addition to the development of new Community Safety Partnerships, we are committed to:

• giving An Garda Síochána the tools and technology to fight crime in a digital era by rolling out improved CCTV and body worn cameras;
• investing significant resources into An Garda Síochána to provide for sustained and ongoing recruitment, as well as investment in equipment and capital;
• implementing a range of youth justice interventions.

The Community Safety Innovation Fund, which provides funding to novel initiatives to improve community safety by reinvesting money seized as proceeds of crime, has provided for a new Community Safety Warden scheme for the Wolfe Tone Park area and surrounds of the North Inner City. The wardens have been hired and are undergoing training and I expect to see their presence on the streets of the capital within the next few weeks. I have also provided funding to launch a similar initiative on O'Connell Street on weekends.

The Garda Commissioner is responsible for operational policing matters, though I can assure the Deputy that the Commissioner and I engage regularly on matters of community safety and policing. The Deputy will also be aware that Gardaí continue to focus on improving safety in the city through a range of operations including Operation Citizen and the complementary Operation Saul that focuses on public transport.

The importance of Operation Citizen, which aims to assure residents, businesses and visitors to the capital that it is a safe place to visit and live in, is demonstrated by the nomination of a dedicated Garda Inspector. This Inspector is responsible for the overall management of O’Connell Street Garda Station and is also the Head of Operation Citizen.

The continuing investment we are making into An Garda Síochána has also allowed for the opening of the new O'Connell Street Garda station, which is providing a welcome, visible presence and has upwards of 400 visitors a month. Business owners and representative bodies such as DublinTown have commented very favourably on the reassurance that O’Connell Street Garda Station has given the businesses, residents and visitors to the city centre.

It is important to note that O'Connell St Garda station is not a stand alone station, rather it acts as a sub-district station supporting Store St station. As a result, incidents reported to the station are recorded under Store St District on PULSE.

Since the opening of O’Connell Street Garda Station on the 10 March to the 30 June, there have been 417 individual proactive foot and mountain bike patrols undertaken. During the same period, 1,191 persons have been arrested, 2,366 charges have been preferred and 930 summons issued in respect of offences detected in the Store Street Garda District. In addition, 163 Juvenile Liaison Officer referrals and 90 adult cautions have issued.

A record of all enquiries made by the public to members in the Garda Station has been kept since its official opening. The vast majority of reports taken relate to lost property, with reports of crime accounting for a small percentage of the queries received. There are up to 400 callers to the station each month.

The opening of the O’Connell Street Garda Station follows on from the re-opening of the Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station, which now features a bespoke Crime Victim Support Suite, the first of its kind in Ireland. Its facilities include several specially designed spaces that will allow Gardaí to cater for the varied and sometimes complex needs of victims in a compassionate and dignified way.

The Dublin Metropolitan Regional Office was also recently relocated from Harcourt Square to Dublin Castle, keeping the senior management of the Region centrally located in the heart of the city.