Richard O'Donoghue on Gardaí shortages, equipment and 2019 inquiry
Richard O'Donoghue addressed the minister about shortages of Gardaí, lack of equipment and an ongoing 2019 Gardaí investigation in Limerick, requesting a written response and a deadline. He warned that Ireland ranks among the highest per capita users of cocaine in Europe and argued that policing capacity and community engagement must be increased.
Richard O'Donoghue highlighted the need for more Gardaí and up-to-date equipment, citing search-and-rescue operations during recent snow and storm damage where Gardaí had to borrow equipment from another county.
He raised concerns that a Gardaí investigation from 2019 into Gardaí in Limerick is still ongoing after six years, asking why it is taking so long and requesting a written response with a clear deadline so officers can return to patrol if cleared.
He pointed to Ireland's high per-head cocaine use in Europe and noted the introduction of tightened laws on drinking, drugs and speed limits, arguing that those measures cannot be enforced without a properly resourced policing force and more community guards.
He praised a recent Gardaí tractor run, painted in the colours of Angarda Sheikana, as an example of thinking outside the box that opened communication between Gardaí and younger people and helped build trust and safety awareness.
Richard O'Donoghue asked the minister for a written reply and a deadline on the outstanding cases, and reiterated that government investment in Gardaí services, equipment and community policing is essential to sustain youth engagement and public safety.
Calls for more Gardaí and equipment
Richard O'Donoghue highlighted the need for more Gardaí and up-to-date equipment, citing search-and-rescue operations during recent snow and storm damage where Gardaí had to borrow equipment from another county.
Ongoing 2019 Gardaí investigation in Limerick
He raised concerns that a Gardaí investigation from 2019 into Gardaí in Limerick is still ongoing after six years, asking why it is taking so long and requesting a written response with a clear deadline so officers can return to patrol if cleared.
Concerns over drugs and policing capacity
He pointed to Ireland's high per-head cocaine use in Europe and noted the introduction of tightened laws on drinking, drugs and speed limits, arguing that those measures cannot be enforced without a properly resourced policing force and more community guards.
Praise for youth engagement initiative
He praised a recent Gardaí tractor run, painted in the colours of Angarda Sheikana, as an example of thinking outside the box that opened communication between Gardaí and younger people and helped build trust and safety awareness.
Request for written reply and investment
Richard O'Donoghue asked the minister for a written reply and a deadline on the outstanding cases, and reiterated that government investment in Gardaí services, equipment and community policing is essential to sustain youth engagement and public safety.
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Transcript
Minister, I wish you were very well in your role. Gardaí in our area, we need Gardaí. We also need equipment for our Gardaí, as we can see from search and rescues that went on over when we had snow and the storm damage, that Gardaí had to assist the missing persons and they had to borrow equipment from another county to come out and do a search and rescue. It's equipment. One question I would like to put on the record here today, and I would like a response back in writing from you, is there was a Gardaí investigation in 2019 into Gardaí and Limerick. That investigation is still ongoing. That means that if somebody was guilty, you would find that they would be brought up injustice by now, but this is going on six years where we could have those same Gardaí back on the beat if they had done nothing wrong. Why is it taking so long of an investigation going into the Gardaí? To me, it doesn't make sense. If the judicial system has to work, it shouldn't take that long. That's what I would like in writing to know. When are these cases going to come to close? When are we going to get those Gardaí if they are coming back out on the beat? But I would like to have a deadline on that if we could. In Europe, if you use a stats per head of population in Ireland, Ireland is one of the top uses of cocaine in Europe. That's alarming. We see all the different laws that are coming in and we see them tightened up on drinking laws, on drug laws, and now we have the changing of speed limits. But when you add them all together, we don't have a policing force to police it. So when are we going to get the policing force to police this? When are we going to get the community guards? To me, they are vital. And I see the Gardaí at the moment and they are working hard, even bringing out recently they brought out a tractor on a tractor run and it was all painted up in the colours of Angarda Sheikana. What did that do? It allowed them to communicate with the younger generation and try and help them with health and safety. It opened communication between the Gardaí, it opened communication between the Gardaí and the younger person coming up. So what that means to me is that they are saying it is OK you can approach me, I am a Gardaí. Whereas that is what we want to see happening. That young people know it is OK to approach a Gardaí and they can confide in Gardaí. That to me is a good thing. That is thinking outside the box. But that can only be done with investment from government, giving us, giving them the facilities, the equipment so they can carry up more of that. And when you work that into an early age, that will work as people get older, the communication is there and working together as a community, they are doing it for the betterment of the whole area. That to me is key. So investment into the Gardaí services, investment into equipment and more of what we are seeing from the Gardaí economy at the moment and collaboration with all the younger people as well. Thank you Deputy Deputy.