There is a growing sense that the Government is losing the battle against crime. People now regularly complain of the lack of gardaí on our streets, the easy tolerance of drug abuse, the open selling of drugs - including transactions on our streets and on public transport - and people injecting drugs in plain sight. People also complain about the growth in antisocial behaviour on streets and in parks. The Garda lacks basic resources such as technology, equipment and cars to deal with all of this. The barbaric attack on Kevin Lunney and the years of unchecked intimidation against his fellow directors is, perhaps, the worst manifestation of this issue. We discussed that matter on Leaders' Questions previously. In Lucan, a man was brutally murdered in a housing estate on the night before last. I have been out with Councillor Shane Moynihan across Dublin Mid-West in recent weeks and people on the doorsteps are articulating their concerns and anxiety about crime and antisocial behaviour. They make this point to us regularly and they sense a growing tolerance for antisocial behaviour and the developing drugs culture.

There was an incredible and unsavoury event in Cork recently. Up to 100 masked young people gathered in the city centre. This was incited through a social media message entitled "JD Cork City Robbery". The message gave the location and the attire required. The message read:

You must wear all black with bally and gloves. You only have 1 minute to yam that shop. This is at your own risk. Don’t come if you can’t run.

This planned raid was similar to events held in Belgium, London and Holland. We should be thankful that An Garda Síochána intercepted these messages through its monitoring of social media but it necessitated the presence of members of the public order unit and many other gardaí to stop the raid happening. The fact is that 100 youths actually responded to this call on social media. What does that reflect? I am of the view that it reflects a lack of fear of or concern with regard to our authorities and the consequences of such behaviour.

People everywhere tell us that drug transactions are commonplace on the Luas, on other public transport and on the streets. Those involved seem to have no fear of the consequences. Individuals are injecting openly on our streets. Cocaine use is up 30%. Over the past year, there have been far too many killings and brutal attacks on innocent people, including young people coming home from a night out and the homeless, who are the most vulnerable of all.

Does the Government acknowledge this growing sense of anxiety among the public regarding crime, antisocial behaviour and the increasing tolerance for an open trade in illicit drugs? Is our legislation robust enough to deal with incitement to rioting and looting via social media? Will the Minister commit the Government to strengthening our laws in that respect, particularly the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, as the United Kingdom has done?

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. We are all concerned about criminals being brought to justice. I am glad that good progress has been made on the Kevin Lunney case through a joint operation involving the PSNI and An Garda Síochána.

The Government is absolutely committed to combating crime. In that regard, we have increased resources to An Garda Síochána. Some €1.76 billion has been allocated to the Garda Vote for 2019. This will increase to an unprecedented €1.882 billion for 2020. Significant capital investment is also being made. The capital investment of €92 million in An Garda Síochána this year represented a 50% increase on 2018. Capital investment will increase further, to €116.5 million, in 2020. Garda numbers are increasing. We are on track for the Government's target of an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 by 2021.

The Government is also supporting the ongoing process of Garda reform through A Policing Service for the Future, the implementation plan for the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The purpose of this plan is to ensure the best possible policing services for communities now and in the future. Decisions on the best use of these resources are operational matters for the Garda Commissioner. Policing decisions are for policing experts. The Commissioner has stated that organised crime groups continue to operate and remain a significant threat and that Garda success in this area was, in no small measure, due to available law. The purpose of this unprecedented funding and support for reform is to ensure the best possible policing services are provided to communities on the ground, in rural and urban areas, now and in the future. Decisions on the best use of these resources are, as I have said, an operational matter for the Commissioner. Policing decisions are for police experts.

With regard to the new legislation in respect of the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2016 gives additional powers to An Garda Síochána. These include the power to immediately seize assets suspected of being the proceeds of crime to prevent them being disposed of. The system established under the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Act 2014 provides An Garda Síochána with links between people and unsolved crimes. The Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 was introduced to protect the justice system from subversion by criminal groups, including through the intimidation of juries. The Commissioner has said that, as of July 2019, there have been 354 arrests since the 2009 Act came into force.

The question I asked was whether the Government acknowledges the growing sense of anxiety and concern among people with regard to increasing levels of crime and antisocial behaviour, and the growing and open illicit drug culture on our streets. That is the key point. The Minister has not answered that basic question. I have knocked on many doors, including with Councillor Shane Moynihan last night. Everywhere we go people say this. They do not see a visible Garda presence on the streets. We know An Garda Síochána is stretched. Gardaí have said that they have not had the necessary resources in the Border area.

A teenager died in May after being stabbed in Finsbury Park in Dundrum. In June, a 34 year old Latvian mother of three was stabbed to death in her apartment and a homeless man was killed close to the GPO. Another homeless man was killed in Cork in September. In July, a 45 year old man was killed in the North Strand area after a row and a 19 year old man was hospitalised after being stabbed in Crumlin. I could go on. Irish Rail says that there have been 789 reports of antisocial behaviour on its services.

When talking to people, statistics such as those the Minister articulated do not really reflect the public's sense of the situation. People believe there is a growing lawlessness about the place, that this is openly tolerated and that there is a lack of enforcement and cut-through to stop this kind of behaviour from increasing.

I asked the Minister a specific question about updating the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 to deal with people being incited to riot and loot via social media. It is needed to counteract the type of thing that happened in Cork some weeks ago.

There is always a sense of anxiety and concern in any community regarding crime. As a result, we have provided more front-line gardaí. Deputy Micheál Martin will know that there are more gardaí on our streets than ever before. There are 1,500 more Garda members, which is 1,000 more officers assigned to front-line duties and there are 1,265 extra civilian staff. We increased the civilian staff numbers in the Garda so there are more officers out on the beat talking to people in communities and listening to the issues they raise. We have delivered a wider range of services locally with An Garda Síochána with enhanced national and regional support. The Deputy is aware that the Garda College in Templemore was closed and no gardaí were recruited for a number of years, but that has all changed. The college is open and we are recruiting. There are more gardaí on the street than ever before to tackle crime.