412. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware of the concerns regarding the increasing incidence of anti-social behaviour raised in correspondence (details supplied); the measures being taken by his Department to address these issues; whether additional resources or initiatives are being considered to assist affected communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54462/26]

This Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities across the country.

My role as Minister is to ensure that the Garda Commissioner has the resources that he needs to tackle crime and this is reflected in the largest allocation ever of over €2.74 billion in Budget 2026.  This will support recruitment of up to 1,000 Gardai, 200 more Garda staff and additional members of the Garda Reserve.

Recruitment into An Garda Síochána has gathered real momentum. Cohorts of over 200 trainees are now entering Templemore regularly. The overall Garda workforce has increased from 15,980 in 2016 to over 18,200 in 2026. With three recruitment competitions to join An Garda Síochána in the last 18 months there is a strong pipeline of recruits regularly entering and attesting from the Garda College. This will ensure that the Commissioner has additional resources to deploy to divisions nationwide.

The Deputy may also be aware that the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which I commenced in April 2025, provides for the establishment of 36 Local Community Safety Partnerships (Safety Partnerships) within each local authority area. Under section 116 of the Act, Safety Partnerships once established, are independent, community-led bodies mandated to design tailored safety plans based on local priorities.

Each Safety Partnership is mandated to consult with their community in the development of a local community safety plan to improve community safety in the relevant area. These plans will prioritise issues of importance to the community and develop collaborative responses to these issues.

Along with the introduction of Safety Partnerships, the Government is taking a range of measures to tackle antisocial behaviour and public safety, including;

• Continued expansion of youth justice and youth diversion measures to reduce youth offending and improve safety for everyone in the community

• Strengthening the laws around Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) to enable swifter action by Gardaí in such cases

• The deployment of body-worn cameras for Gardaí in Dublin, Waterford and Limerick on a pilot basis with nationwide rollout to follow.

Residents should also remain in contact with the Superintendent of the local community engagement area who is best placed to address their immediate policing concerns.

I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to engage with the Commissioner to ensure that he has the resources that he needs to tackle crime in all of our communities.