Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, is unable to be here today. However, as the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley, will be aware, Garda resources in Border counties, particularly Donegal, have been drained during the past two to three years to the extent that they are now exceptionally stretched and at a level which makes it difficult or impossible to provide the level of policing required to ensure Border areas in particular are policed.

The Minister of State will be aware of the particular challenges in Border areas in terms of the problems that arise for communities living close to populated areas which a force is not responsible for policing. There are many avenues for cross-Border crime. Unless the necessary resources are put in place those wishing to do so will continue to exploit the lack of resources available to police cross-Border crime, leading to an increase in crime in this regard.

What does the Minister, Deputy Shatter, propose to do to address the chronic shortage of gardaí in Donegal and to ensure that its communities can feel safe and be properly policed?

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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On behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter of significant public importance. Unfortunately, the Minister cannot be here to respond to this issue as he is attending a Garda Reserve graduation in Templemore.

The Deputy will be aware that the Commissioner is responsible for the allocation throughout the organisation of resources, including personnel, transport and other facilities. The Minister has no function in this matter. The allocation of resources is constantly monitored by the Commissioner and his senior management in the context of demographics, crime trends, policing needs and other operational strategies in place on a district, division and regional basis to ensure optimum use is made of Garda resources.

Today, the Minister announced the opening of a recruitment campaign for new recruits to An Garda Síochána. It is four years since recruitment last took place. The Minister is delighted to be in a position to provide for the recruitment of new members to An Garda Síochána. Following a difficult time for our economy it is a huge positive that we can begin again to take new members into the force. It is expected that the new recruits will enter the Garda college in mid-2014, when they will embark on a progressive new training course. The new course has been developed to reflect the current policing environment and will better equip Garda members for the reality of life on our streets. It will also allow for attestation of members after 32 weeks, following which they will assigned to Garda stations with full policing powers. It is the Minister's declared intention to retain Garda numbers at 13,000. This will be bolstered by the current recruitment campaign.

It is the Minister's declared intention to retain Garda numbers at 13,000 and this will be bolstered by this recruitment campaign.

In the Donegal Garda division there have been several serious incidents and high-profile aggravated burglaries on elderly victims along the Border area in during 2013. Operation Liath was introduced within Donegal division in January 2013 as an operational strategy to improve public safety and enhance the effectiveness of high-visibility police resources within the division. This operation in Donegal is running in conjunction with national operations such as Operation Fiacla and other Garda operations in existence to combat criminality within the Donegal division. The main focus of this ongoing operation is to disrupt and prevent criminality against older persons within the community, to apprehend suspects in the commission and the attempted commission of offences and to fully investigate detect and prosecute any offences outstanding against those suspects and groups. This will be achieved through a focused, targeted and co-ordinated approach by An Garda Síochána.

The objectives of the operation are being addressed through intelligence-led patrols, checkpoints, continued liaison between An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, intelligence gathering and the continued support and rejuvenation of neighbourhood watch and community alert schemes. The Commissioner has informed the Minister that there are 412 gardaí, 29 garda reserves and 28 civilian staff assigned to the Donegal division. These resources are further augmented, where necessary, by several Garda national units, including the Garda traffic unit, the Garda national drugs unit, the national bureau of criminal investigation, the criminal assets bureau and other specialised units. The Minister is determined that the resources of an Garda Síochána will be used in the most effective and efficient way and that the best possible service is provided to the public. The Minister is confident that the primary Garda objective of combating crime will continue to be achieved and that, despite the pressure on the public finances, it will be possible for the force to operate to the optimum benefit of our communities in a manner that will facilitate the prevention and detection of offences.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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This is not the first time, unfortunately, I have had to raise this issue on the floor of the Dáil. When I raised it previously, the Minister for Justice and Equality said he did not see Border areas as special cases in respect of how policing plans are laid out and developed. He saw no distinction between the needs there and the needs in other parts of the country. Unfortunately, when that is the type of leadership coming from the Minister, it gives the wrong message to the public. Also, it is not the best type of leadership in terms of giving a message to the Garda about how the Government understands the particular needs. Although the day-to-day operations of the Garda are the responsibility of the Commissioner, it is the Minister who sets out the resources and who decides the number of gardaí he must work with.

The Minister of State outlined that we now have 412 gardaí in the county of Donegal. That is down from 466 at the end of 2010, over 54 personnel down. That is well in excess of a 10% decrease in only a couple of years, a significant decrease. We are seeing this in terms of gardaí being stretched on the ground to try to meet the particular needs of Border areas.

I call on the Minister of State to comment. Does he see Border areas as having particular needs or special circumstances which require particular policing needs? Do we require an acknowledgement from the Government in terms of the types of resources required? I realise recruitment is starting again, not before time, but we have a particular issue in respect of incidents in Border areas. The Government must respond to this and equip the Garda and the Garda Commissioner to respond.

I call on the Minister of State to provide more specific information to show that the Government has an understanding and acknowledges the difficulties that exist. It has not done so before. Will the Minister of State to give the House details, if possible, in terms of what the Government will do to assist the Commissioner in addressing these needs?

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister recognises the importance of combating crime in every part of this jurisdiction. That is why he has succeeded in securing a budget of €1.3 billion for the Garda Síochána during the coming year. Furthermore, it is why he has succeeded, after a period of four years, in lifting the embargo on Garda recruitment. For the first time in four years we are opening up Templemore and new entrants will be going in by the middle of next year. After 32 weeks they will be dispersed throughout the country and communities to do what the Deputy has outlined. That is the reason the Minister has succeeded in getting an extra €9 million to augment the Garda fleet, which is so important in rural areas and every area. A total of 305 new vehicles will be provided by the end of this year.

I believe that these steps indicate the importance we attach to providing a safe environment for our citizens in every part of the country, including the Border areas, and, as Deputy McConalogue noted, in my county. I am familiar with what is going on there and I am pleased that there has not been any great escalation of crime. Nevertheless, there are incidents and it is in the interests of everyone to ascertain who carried them out and bring them to justice. Steps have been taken and steps are being taken to enable the Garda and the Commissioner to carry out their work as efficiently as possible.