Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Two multiagency task forces have been set up in this city in recent years, one in the north inner city and one in Cherry Orchard. On both occasions, I welcomed those multiagency task forces, but I also pointed out that one of the areas with the most deprivation in this city is the Liberties and Dublin 8. I highlighted the need for us to focus on this area where there is intergenerational poverty, drug abuse, crime, etc. That is impacting the community, and without a multiagency approach, the situation only continues in that cycle. Most of those who were out canvassing for parties during the recent election campaigns will have seen for themselves again, if they needed to, the level of poverty and the level of intimidation by drug gangs in certain parts of the south inner city.

The community looks on and sees all these bright ideas and new apartments being built in the city while they are being asked to live in squalor and to put up with intimidation day in and day out. There are scenes where gangs are taking over whole blocks of apartments and ruling the roost. If this means there is a problem in terms of crime, that needs to be addressed by An Garda Síochána. If there is dilapidation of the flat complex, that means the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the local authority need to take steps. In terms of education too, children are also growing in poverty and seeing for themselves crime occurring on an incredibly open level. Masked gangs are permanently in situ in their flat complexes or on the streets and no action is taken. This is not the way to have children growing up and a community looking forward.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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Last week, Deputy Ó Snodaigh and I attended a protest with the community outside the community centre on Donore Avenue, which was burnt down in a fire three years ago and has been sitting empty since. Now, that is a problem for Dublin City Council and not one for here, but it is a major one and is emblematic of much of what is happening in the south-west inner city. Even when services are provided, they are left to decay and fall apart. When they fall away, they are not replaced.

All of what Deputy Ó Snodaigh said about problems was very true in respect of intergenerational crime and drug use. All these problems, however, are compounded by a lack of services, including basic facilities such as playing pitches. There are no playing pitches in Dublin 8. How can we have a sports-based intervention to keep kids on the right path, as the locals are calling out for, if we do not have playing pitches? There is an absolute lack of services. I tabled a Topical Issue matter for debate here two weeks ago on stalled regenerations in the area such as the Oliver Bond and Dolphin House flat complexes. Both projects seem to have utterly stalled.

When we take account of the problems and what seems to be a very lacklustre response to them, we can see that a multiagency task force is absolutely essential. We have asked this question of the Department of Justice because it oversees the other multiagency task forces we have referred to, but we could have asked for a Minister or Minister of State from any Department to address this matter because these problems are so cross-cutting and interrelated among many Departments. This is another reason we need the multiagency task force to help to knit together this response. The people of the south-west inner city are crying out for this response. When we stood on the street with the community at that protest at the community centre, this was a clear ask from them. Other areas of equal or less deprivation are getting this response, so why are we not getting it?

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, I thank the Deputies for raising this. It is essential that people feel safe and are safe in their local communities, and Dublin 8 is no exception. Dublin city, and its surroundings, is a hive of business and tourism, particularly at this time of year. There is also a strong, vibrant community created by local residents. We want every part of the city to be a safe space for people to live and work in, and to visit.

As Deputy Costello just said, community safety is not solely the responsibility of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, her Department or An Garda Síochána; rather, it is a whole-of-government responsibility. The development of new community safety partnerships will bring together all the relevant State agencies, councillors, community groups and residents to develop new community safety plans. Pilots have operated in three areas ahead of a nationwide roll-out this year.

The Government is committed to taking action to tackle crime across our country. This includes giving An Garda Síochána the tools and technology to fight crime in a digital era by rolling out improved CCTV, as well as body-worn cameras, the pilot scheme for which launched in Store Street Garda station on 30 May; doubling the maximum sentence for assault causing harm to ten years; and giving local people and local representatives a real say in how they can make their communities safer through the new local community safety partnerships.

I am assured that the distribution of gardaí is kept under review by the Garda authorities in light of any emerging crime trends or policing needs. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, was in Templemore last Friday for the attestation of 157 gardaí, and I can confirm on her behalf that 103 of those gardaí have been posted to Dublin Garda stations. An Garda Síochána maintains a proactive approach to policing the city to reduce crime and to keep people safe. Members of the Garda mounted unit, Garda dog unit, the armed support unit and the Dublin Metropolitan Region roads policing unit all support Operation Citizen by way of high-visibility beat and mobile patrols, particularly at weekends and in support of organised events. The Garda national public order unit is also available to support regular units and has been recently issued with larger capacity incapacitant spray as well as smaller public order shields.

In addition, Operation Limmat is the Dublin metropolitan region’s public order strategy. It promotes a pro-arrest and early-investigation approach to incidents of assault, together with driving high-visibility policing in public places to act as a deterrent to prevent and reduce assaults and public order offences in the region. Operation Irene has also commenced in the Dublin metropolitan region and runs from 1 June to 1 September. This is a multiagency operation with the key objective to prevent and detect antisocial behaviour and combat underage alcohol consumption and the consumption of alcohol in public places through the enforcement of legislation regulating the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol. The ultimate aim of the operation is to enhance community safety and confidence.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The last point is not, in some ways, relevant if it is concerned with alcohol. The consumption of drugs on a massive scale is the problem here. I invite any Deputy to visit some of the flat complexes just to see the level of sale and consumption of drugs and the intimidation that goes with it.

The role of sports clubs is very important. They can divert young people away from crime and drug-taking, and I would encourage that. The area is great, one of the best communities going, but there is an element that is intergenerational at this stage. The crime gangs people hear of in the media started from there and spread across the city. They need to be tackled head-on. There is no sense of urgency. The hall that Deputy Costello mentioned is closed four years and there is no urgency to get it open again. Other halls have also been closed. A sense of urgency is needed to properly address this. That is why we ask for a multiagency task force.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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The Minister of State said community safety is everybody's responsibility, and it is, but when something is everybody's responsibility, it can quickly become nobody's responsibility, particularly with Departments passing the buck from one to the other. That is why we need a multiagency task force to pull everyone together, as has worked effectively in other areas facing similar problems. Much of the Minister of State's response focuses on the policing response, arrests, equipment and sentencing, but we need a community development response alongside that. We need a youth work response and sports investment alongside the policing. This is why we need the multiagency task force. We need it to pull together all these disparate strands that are leaving the work to somebody else.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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On behalf of the Minister, I thank the Deputies again for raising this issue. As I and both Deputies have said, community safety is a whole-of-government responsibility and it requires a multiagency approach. I agree with the Deputies that there are great communities in the area. They spoke of the role of sports clubs, which are important. I agree on addiction and dual diagnosis issues, which are profound everywhere at the moment.

Gardaí in Kevin Street are very active within the community, both from a community engagement angle and in terms of operations aimed at improving feelings of safety. These include high-visibility patrols in areas identified as having high levels of crime and antisocial behaviour, and operations targeting criminal elements within such areas. Gardaí have assured the Minister they will continue to commit district and divisional resources to disrupting and dismantling the illegal activities of individuals and work with key stakeholders in all communities where such activity is having a serious impact on the lives of the people.

I will take on board the Deputies' comments. They said a community development response is required. This response is from the Minister for Justice and will obviously focus on gardaí and the policing part of it. The Deputies also said there is no sense of urgency in dealing with the issues in the area. The approach being taken brings together the local community and local service providers under an independent chair to develop a community safety plan for their area and, more importantly, to work in partnership with the area. Politicians, including local authority members, are always to the fore in driving their community forward as best they can. I will bring the Deputies' concerns to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, including in respect of a multiagency task force for the Dublin 8 area.