Protection for asylum seekers in tents
Holly Cairns criticised the Taoiseach’s remarks on Garda protection for people sleeping in tents and said the Government, not gardaí, must ensure accommodation and safety. The Minister defended the Government’s approach, cited increased Garda numbers, and repeated that the force had adequate resources; Cairns insisted responsibility should not be shifted to gardaí.
Yesterday, the Taoiseach said something extraordinary. He said he did not believe there are enough gardaí on the streets in Dublin to protect asylum seekers living in tents. This was an astonishing statement for a number of reasons. First, it was incredibly cynical. It is not the job or duty of gardaí to ensure that people who come to this country seeking safety and support have a secure place to stay; it is the Government's responsibility to do this. It is failing in this legal and moral duty. Second, the Taoiseach's comments were also incredibly worrying because they seemed to imply we should now get used to seeing hundreds of asylum seekers sleeping rough on our streets. Was he telling us this is the new norm? Is this what the Government is now willing to accept? The Government cannot, and should not, outsource its responsibility to protect asylum seekers to overworked and under-resourced gardaí. After more than a year of this crisis, when will the Government live up to its own responsibilities and stop deflecting blame for this catastrophic failure?
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy. The Government takes full responsibility. I do not agree with her assertions. The Taoiseach, the Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, and I all want more gardaí on the street. We want more gardaí on the beat in communities. This is why we are recruiting more gardaí, with more than 300 recruits in Templemore as we speak. We have new classes every 11 weeks. The Minister for Justice has spoken to the Garda Commissioner who has assured him he has adequate resources to police such protests. The Commissioner says he has the operational integrity to police the protests. I will provide some statistics on Garda strength.
Comment on this
I am not asking for an update on Garda figures.
Comment on this
The figure is up from 12,800 in 2015 to just over 14,000 now.
Comment on this
I am asking about the Government giving responsibility to them to look after asylum seekers living in tents on the streets.
Comment on this
I have given some statistics. The number of people who have been recruited into An Garda Síochána is increasing all the time. We are committed to more gardaí on the beat and on the street.
Comment on this
It should not be up to them to ensure people are safe in tents.