Electronic tagging and Garda numbers
Deputy McGrath raised local community safety concerns, shortages of gardaí and the very limited use of electronic tagging. The Minister said Garda investment is up, more gardaí and civilian staff are being added, and she would hear the community’s concerns directly.
The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is present. The Powerstown-Lisronagh community alert group from Tipperary are coming up to meet her today. It is fighting to save its community. There is a lack of Garda numbers. The local gardaí are doing their best. Save our Local Community in Tipperary came up to Dublin previously after a heinous robbery in Killenaule when a business family was nearly destroyed. It lobbied hard for electronic tagging. Electronic tagging started but only 151 persons - prisoners, those on remand or whatever - have been electronically tagged since 2006. It is appalling. In a reply from the Minister, she stated that electronic tagging has been discontinued since 2017 because of costs. What is going on? Why are gardaí expected to run around after people who are out on bail when electronic tagging has been proven in many jurisdictions to be successful, easily monitored and a good system? The Government has no funds to run it. How are we going to support communities? What message is the Minister, Deputy McEntee, going to give the good people of Tipperary today? They are good people who want to save their communities. How are they going to be supported if the Government is saying it has run out of money and cannot afford to do things that we in this House fought hard for and legislated for?
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As the Deputy rightly stated, I was asked a number of weeks ago by Senator Ahearn to meet a group of people. I am pleased to be meeting them today to hear their concerns. The Deputy is not right in saying that we are not providing support or investment for the Garda. More than €2 billion has been invested in An Garda Síochána in the budget this year. There has been an increase of 13% in the number of gardaí, with an increase of 10% specifically in Clonmel and an increase in civilian gardaí. That said, what I want to do today is hear the concerns of members of the community-----
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-----and be able to respond to them effectively, and that is exactly what I will do.
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What about tagging? The Minister did not answer the question.