Victor Boyhan urges new transport police with powers of arrest

First, I want to thank the Minister for coming to the House to deal with this commencement matter. Just for the record, this commencement matter asks the need for the Minister for Transport to make a statement on his proposal to establish a transport security force, and our City and County Council has been considered to be included in the Public Transport Safety Working Group. Minister, I want to thank you. I know you are not the Minister here, but I want to thank you for taking this on behalf of the Minister and the Department. I suppose just to set out some concerns in relation to this issue, I want to first acknowledge that the Programme for Government contains a clear commitment to establish a new transport police service with powers of arrest, with powers of arrest. And that is the key focus of, I think, an important and successful transport policing. If it does not have powers of arrest, I do not think it will be effective. I think it is interesting that there are differences in nuance in relation to the Minister for Justice's view, a previously stated view before he was Minister for Justice, and the current Minister for Transport's view, but I am sure that will all gel together and the practicalities have to be looked at. Clearly, there are demands on resources for Gardaíche corner as well, and that has to be a consideration in all of this mix. So we have the rise of anti-social behaviour in our public transport network, it is simply unacceptable and it has to be tackled. You know this yourself, everyone knows, any public representative will tell you that we have constant complaints in terms of anti-social behaviour and violence, and there can be no place on our public transport, indeed there can be no place or tolerance for that in our community, but in relation to anti-social behaviour and violence, and I think it is always important to state that our public transport network is also a place of work, it is a place of employment. So our transport unions, I am thinking of Forza, I am thinking of the bus union, I am thinking of loads of the rail unions, are deeply concerned in relation to the protection of their members, who work in this scene, on this scenario, and in this network, but also they are concerned for the passengers, so passengers and transport staff are fearful, and in some cases terrified in their place of work, or on their transport, their choice of transport, and their personal safety is a great concern to them. Many have lost confidence, and that is a terrible thing to have to say in our city, particularly in Dublin, but have lost confidence in using public transport at certain points, and at certain times, and in certain places, so the transport network is also, as I say, an important place that we need to ensure there is absolute safety and confidence in for all its users. CIP2 and other trade unions have, of course, been great advocates of the respect for transport workers, and that campaign has been run very, very successfully, and I want to acknowledge their responsible manner in which they have dealt with both the consultation process, both the Department of Transport and the Department of Justice and Gardaíshire Corner. So we have got to make public transport network safe for everyone. I understand that the National Transport, the NTA, the unions and Gardaíshire Corner, the Department of Justice and passenger representative groups have worked collaboratively to try and address this issue, so I think that is important, and it has been suggested that this transport security force would operate in a similar manner to that of the powers of the airport police or the customs. So really, what am I saying to you, Minister, and hopefully you might raise this again with the Department? I think we have now got to proceed with whatever course of action the Government are deciding, we have got to go with it, and I think the Government need to identify the necessary legislative proposals and alterations to enable the establishment of this transport security force in whatever shape it is going to be. But we have got to stamp out anti-social behaviour and violence on our transport network, and I think when I talk about transport network, and I finish on this, I am talking about the bus, I am talking about Lewis, I am talking about Dart, and I am talking about all rail line services, because I think they are critically important. So I think the real issue, I suppose in terms of going back to the programme for Government, is that the programme for Government contains a clear commitment, and I had a look at this today, to establish a new transport police service with powers of arrest that has to be sanctioned, otherwise it will not be effective. Thank you Minister. Thank you. Thank you very much, Cahirlach and Senator Boyan for your question, and also maybe if you will indulge me, I would just like to put on the record of Shanna Dair and my thanks for your collaboration with officials in my own department recently on legislation that is currently moving through the Houses of the Oireachtas. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this really important topic with members of the House today, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. From the outset, I would like to clarify that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, but neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services, but that being said, we are all aware that antisocial behaviour is a broad societal issue to which public transport service is not immune. To help tackle this critical issue, there is, as you have said, a very strong commitment under the programme for Government to create a transport security force under the National Transport Authority. That would operate and would have similar powers to the way the airport police and customs officers operate. I want to reassure the House that this is a priority for Government and work has already commenced in the Department of Transport around identifying the necessary legislative proposals to progress this matter. While the last few years have seen really significant progress on investment in safety measures, as you have said, I would like to say thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The establishment of the Transport Security Force will play a central role in helping to tackle this really important issue. Great deal of work on tackling the issue of antisocial behaviour, specifically on public transport, has already commenced, and that includes the establishment of the Public Transport Safety Working Group, to which I know you have referred. The Public Transport Safety Working Group was established last year to identify measures to improve passenger safety and staff safety across the public network. He specifically called out that public transport are places of work. As you have said, SIPTU and other unions have run a campaign around respect in public transport workplaces, and that is to be welcome. The Public Transport Safety Working Group also includes representatives from across the public transport sector, operating companies, unions, the National Transport Authority and Garda Siakana, the Department of Justice and passenger representative groups. The main focus of this group is the creation of a public transport safety charter and progressing the NTA's safety and security implementation plan. So while I understand that it is intended that members of the Public Transport Safety Working Group will help inform policy makers on ways to reduce the number of antisocial incidents that we can see happening in our public transport network, they will also feed in to this overall commitment from the programme for government. The Department of Transport is continuing to work closely with industry stakeholders to identify measures to improve passenger safety across the public transport network, and in this regard that safety working group will play a really important role when it comes to the planning and the implementation of the Government's commitment to create a transport security force. The Department will also be engaging with a number of key stakeholders as this work progresses. As the programme for government clearly outlines, it is envisaged that the transport security force would operate in a manner that is similar, as I have said, to the airport police and customs officers. The continued work of the NTA and each of the public transport operators to promote the safety and the security for passengers and staff will be of utmost importance. That is why we have been maintaining really strong links with Ngaardishia Kona, because that is where it is most important to help tackle this important issue when it comes to physically being on trains. I suppose just to point out that there were really good days of action on this over the last year. The Government and the Department of Transport and all stakeholders are going to continue to develop these new policies and mechanisms to increase safety, to decrease incidents of anti-social behaviour across the public transport network and to bring to life exactly what you have said to us today, Senator. Thank you Minister for that comprehensive overview of the situation and I think there is heart in that. I suppose just to reiterate two things. To identify the necessary, let us get on and proceed as quickly as we can in terms of identifying the necessary legislative proposals, because it will need legislative proposals, as the Minister has already told the House, and let us see about getting the necessary requirements established for the transport security force. If you did not manage to touch on the issue, the final piece was the city and county councillors. I think city and county councillors, you know this very well as someone who has served local government for years, they are central to community policing, they are also central as community stakeholders and advocates for community, and I think if there is a role, be it on the transport security network, this working group or some other group or through a liaison of the department itself, I think there is a role for some representatives of city and county councillors to be engaged and treated as legitimate stakeholders too in this process. If you might just think about that and see what opportunities in the future that we can do to incorporate them. That is a really good point, Senator. I suppose just to reiterate the creation of the transport security force is a priority for government, but as you have said it is important to note that the introduction of force is going to require the development of legislation, which as all of us in this House knows may take a significant time, but nonetheless the government's commitment to delivering a safe and secure public transport network and the outgoing interim work on public transport safety will continue, as will the continued support and funding for operator measures such as the recent extension of the Dublin Bus Security Pilot Scheme. Across the network all public transport operators are continuing to expand significant resources, so we have got fully fitted CCTV cameras now, we have got text alert systems, we have got control centres all recently introduced. In relation to city and county councillors, I know there is, for example, the Tala community forum in operation when it comes to the bus service there and there is a role there for city and county councillors and I think you are right that needs to be looked at at a broader level. Our new Minister for Transport obviously comes from a background of being Minister for Local Government, so I am sure that is feedback that he would be willing to take on board and I will absolutely pass that along.