Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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514. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on the ongoing, chronic drug use and anti-social behaviour at Moore Lane, beside the Rotunda Maternity Hospital [29355/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Deputy that the Government is determined to tackle anti-social behaviour and its causes. A number of priority actions are contained in the Programme for Government to reduce instances of such behaviour and help people to be safe and feel safe in their local communities.

We are committed to tackling the scourge of anti-social behaviour and crime to build safer streets and stronger communities. This includes:

• Increasing penalties for knife crime and strengthening the use of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs)
• The deployment of body-worn cameras for Gardaí in Dublin City Centre, Waterford, and Limerick in 2024, with nationwide roll-out to follow
• The introduction of Community Safety Partnerships around the country, to develop Community Safety Plans for every area.
• Continued expansion of youth justice and youth diversion measures
• New laws to criminalise the grooming of children into a life of crime.
• Introducing Facial Recognition Technology to help investigate and prosecute cases of serious crime
• Providing the funding necessary to strengthen the equipment available to An Garda Síochána for public order policing, including the deployment of tasers and stronger incapacitant spray.
• Proposing solutions to public order and anti-social problems through the Local Leadership Programme which brings together local stakeholders in a structured manner.

Last year, I provided additional funding to the Commissioner for overtime in Dublin and it is important to note that the overall Garda overtime budget for 2024 is a substantial increase on last year.

I have been assured by the Commissioner that he has the resources to police the city and that additional resources continue to be deployed.

Additional permanent full-time Gardaí have been assigned to Dublin. 157 new recruits attested at the end of June, and 102 of these were assigned to support policing in Dublin.

The Deputy may also wish to be aware that there are a number of Garda Operations taking place in Dublin to provide a high-visibility policing presence and deter anti-social behaviour. These include:

• Operation Citizen which continues to reassure the citizens, visitors and the business community in Dublin City Centre that it is a safe place in which to visit, socialise, conduct business and enjoy its amenities;
• Operation Saul which aims to provide a safe environment for commuters utilising public transport services in the Dublin Metropolitan Region;
• Operation Táirge targeting Retail Theft;
• Operation Tara tackling street level drug-dealing.

In addition, the pilot North Inner City Dublin Local Community Safety Partnership published its community safety plan last year, which includes a number of actions to be taken, both by An Garda Síochána and other partners, to ensure that people are safe and feel safe in the city centre. The community safety plan contains 50 actions across 5 priority areas aimed at enhancing safety in the North Inner City.