I thank the Deputy for his long-standing interest in this issue and for raising it. Tackling the scourge of drug dealing and targeting the work of organised crime groups, which inflict intimidation, violence and misery on families and communities in rural Ireland, is a top priority for the Government and our Department. As part of budget 2025, €36 million has been allocated to youth justice services. This investment will facilitate an increase in the capacity of youth diversion projects for the young people who need them the most, as well as increased supports for families and early interventions for children who may be at increased risk of becoming engaged in criminal activity. This approach is strongly supported by evidence from the University of Limerick. The projects are community-based, multiagency youth crime prevention initiatives that primarily seek to divert young people at risk of involvement in antisocial or criminal behaviour, or both. I was very pleased to announce two new projects last month, which will achieve the target set out in the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 of full national coverage. The Government is also fully committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to fight crime. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of €2.48 billion in budget 2025. That was a 27% increase in budget since 2020. We were delighted to witness 149 new gardaí passing out of Templemore two weeks ago and to see more than 200 trainees, the largest intake since 2019, enter the Garda College recently. This increase in Garda numbers is allowing for sustained investment in front-line policing and in specialist units such as the very successful drugs and organised crime bureau. An Garda Síochána continues to implement the enhanced national anti-drugs strategy in Operation Tara, the focus of which is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks at all levels, namely, international, national and local, that are involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs. The Department of Health leads on Government policy in the area of drugs, and this policy is guided by the whole-of-government national drugs and alcohol strategy, which sets out a health-led response to drug and alcohol use.

Sentiment score: 0.13

The Deputy represents a Border constituency and I re-emphasise there is ongoing close co-operation between An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland to tackle cross-Border criminality, including through the mechanism of the joint agency task force established under the 2015 Northern Ireland Fresh Start Agreement. This task force is producing results and helping to keep people safe in really practical, visible ways through customs seizures, identifying victims of human trafficking and joint days of action against organised crime groups. North-South co-operation in policing and criminal justice continues to be a priority for the Government. The Minister met his counterpart in Northern Ireland, the Minister, Naomi Long MLA, last week to discuss how best to combat serious and organised crime on our island. We look forward to continued co-operation on that.

Sentiment score: 0.05

Deputy Smith has referenced community safety and criminality in rural areas in particular, as has Deputy Ó Murchú. I reiterate that rural and community safety is not just a job for An Garda Síochána alone. It requires a multiagency, multisectoral and a whole-of-government response. Supporting the work of our national rural safety forum, the Department of Justice first published the Rural Safety Plan 2022-2024. That plan has a vision to ensure people in communities in Ireland feel safe and are safe in their homes, in places of work and in their local environment. It does so by identifying five key areas on which we will focus to achieve the overall goal. These are: community safety, burglary and theft, roads policing, animal crime and heritage crime. We are going to produce a second rural safety plan for 2025 to 2027 later this year and we can speak further about that in due course.

Sentiment score: 0.27

I thank the Deputy for his question. I assure him the Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy. Our budget for 2025 saw an unprecedented level of funding of €2.48 billion for the year which, as I referenced previously, is a 27% increase since 2020. I have also referenced that we had 149 new gardaí passed out two weeks ago and that we saw more than 200 trainees enter Templemore in the past number of days. While the Garda Commissioner is operationally responsible for the allocation of Garda resources, we engage with him regularly to ensure our gardaí have the resources they need. We are informed that when allocating and transferring Garda members to and from any division, consideration is given to the commitments and undertakings outlined in the annual policing plan. Garda authorities have informed us that the four stations referred to by the Deputy currently have no gardaí assigned to them but it is crucial to note that these areas are still being actively policed. Gardaí attached to larger stations within the Galway county east community engagement area, supplemented by the Galway division roads policing unit, the Galway division crime unit and the Galway division drugs unit, respond to policing needs in the communities referred to. The divisional officer will consider the allocation of gardaí to these stations with the Galway county east community engagement area should additional resources be allocated to the Galway division. The new operating model is intended to release more front-line gardaí, provide a stronger focus on community policing and transform the delivery of policing services locally. It reflects best international practice and will ensure each division has the resources and skills to deliver a wide range of community policing and specialist services based on the demands in their area.

Sentiment score: 0.34

The Deputy is correct to raise the issues that impact on his constituency. There is no doubt that the three of us here on the Front Bench are taking note of what he is saying and we will convey his views to the Garda Commissioner. To reiterate, a number of years ago, this House passed a major Bill, which means the entire operational side of An Garda Síochána is in the gift of the Garda Commissioner and his office. It is he and his team who decide upon the allocation of manpower within each Garda division and the number of gardaí to be allocated right across the country. That is something into which we do not have direct input. As a public representative, the Deputy is entitled to, and is right to, raise the concerns he and his constituents have. At the end of the day, we are all practising constituency politicians also and we want to see our own areas policed effectively. That is why the top line job of Government is, which is set out within the programme for Government, that we want to drive recruitment. We are doing everything we can to do that. I have outlined to the Deputy what we are doing. The programme for Government sets out very ambitious plans to get more men and women into An Garda Síochána, to have them attested and policing our front lines and to get them out into our streets in our towns and cities and across our rural communities.

Sentiment score: 0.14

This is absolutely something we can raise in our next discussion with the Garda Commissioner and his team. In my own experience, I have seen many community outreach and engagement activities by An Garda Síochána so it is not something beyond their capabilities. I do not see any reason why it cannot be done and we will certainly offer that as a suggestion.

Sentiment score: 0.32