Garda deployment to Disneyland
Deputy Whitmore criticised reports that gardaí were being sent to Disneyland in France while communities at home needed more policing. The Tánaiste treated it lightly at first, then said the real issue was crime and recruitment, citing plans to recruit 1,000 more gardaí; the Chair repeatedly curbed the banter and brought the House back to order.
I was perplexed today to see reports in the media that gardaí are being sent to Disneyland in France to police tourist hot spots. I see the Tánaiste is perplexed by that as well. The facts are that we have migrant campsites being burned out literally a stone's throw from the Dáil and that the Taoiseach himself has raised concerns about garda numbers and whether we have enough gardaí to police the far-right in this country. In every community across the country, certainly in my county of Wicklow, people would like to see more gardaí on the streets, so this seems like a very strange decision. This is actually the second year this has happened. Previously, gardaí were sent to another tourist spot in France to police hot spots in order that Irish tourists could see gardaí if they had any questions. Apparently, the ambassador to France has organised this exchange. I would be very interested in the Tánaiste's opinions on that.
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From time to time we have very creative diplomacy in terms of exchanges, learning of expertise and so on. The next thing could be a parliamentary trip to Disneyland. It could be cross-party.
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We are already there.
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We might get very valuable insights into how things operate. It has been a long time since I have been in Disneyland, so opportunity beckons.
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What is the Tánaiste's opinion on the matter?
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In a more serious vein, I think the broader issue of crime which the Deputy introduces-----
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It is a matter of garda numbers and whether we should be-----
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A very significant resource allocation has been made to recruit a thousand more gardaí. That will continue year on year, and applications have been received and so on in that respect.
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Should we be sending gardaí to France?
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I would have to get the context of the visit to Disneyland to understand the full policy wraparound as to why gardaí are there.
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Could Deputies please stick to the time allocated? A Thánaiste, if you could stick to it, it would help.