I move:

That Seanad Éireann:

recognises:

- the crucial role played by An Garda Síochána in ensuring the security of the State, protecting and serving communities across Ireland through the maintenance of law and order, and upholding the principles of justice;

- the continued investment across the justice system, including in An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Prison Service, and the Probation Service;

- that overall funding for An Garda Síochána has increased by almost 50 per cent since 2020, with investment of over €2.74 billion allocated for 2026;

- that, through successive budget increases, the Government has ensured that An Garda Síochána has the resources, leadership, and technology necessary to deliver on its mission;

- the 90 members of An Garda Síochána killed in the line of duty;

welcomes:

- the decision to increase the maximum age limit for joining An Garda Síochána from 35 to 50 years;

- the decision to increase penalties for attacks on members of An Garda Síochána and frontline workers to up to 12 years’ imprisonment;

- the introduction of body-worn cameras for members of An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service;

- that Garda numbers are expected to reach 15,000 within the next year, representing the highest number in the history of the State;

- that work is currently ongoing to increase capacity at the Garda College to accommodate up to 250 trainees per intake;

- the significant increase in the number of Garda Reserves with a target to increase the number of Reserve members to over 600 this year;

- the high visibility policing operation underway by Gardaí;

calls for:

- the forthcoming pay deal for public servants to reflect the invaluable role of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces in Irish society;

- this House to condemn threats made against members of An Garda Síochána and the targeting of their families online;

- the development of new policies to penalise individuals who target members of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces online;

- the development of a clear pursuit-driving policy for members of An Garda Síochána;

- Gardaí to be provided with a separate driving licence classification for use while on duty; and

- the establishment of a full-time Public Order Unit within An Garda Síochána.

I understand that Senator Kelleher is sharing time with Senator Noel O’Donovan. Is that agreed? Agreed. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Niall Collins, as teacht isteach agus cuirim fáilte roimhe. Molaim an rún seo thar ceann Sheanadóirí Fhine Gael tráthnóna inniu. Bhaineann sé leis An nGarda Síochána agus conas is féidir linn a thuilleadh tacaíochta a thabhairt do ghardaí chun an fórsa a neartú agus iad ag cosaint pobail ar fud na tíre.

We recognise the crucial role played by An Garda Síochána in ensuring the security of the State, protecting and serving communities across Ireland through the maintenance of law and order and upholding the principles of justice. We are very proud of the core principle of policing by consent, and of the public respect afforded by the Irish people in communities across the country to An Garda Síochána. We recognise the continued investment across the justice system, including in An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Prison Service and the Probation Service.

In relation to An Garda Síochána specifically, overall funding has increased by almost 50% since 2020, with investment of over €2.74 billion allocated for 2026. It is vital that we continue to invest in An Garda Síochána, and in improving resources and capacity at Templemore Garda College, to ensure we can reach our target of having a Garda force that exceeds 15,000 members. At the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, Garda numbers reached a peak of 14,750. However, this fell by almost 1,000 to 13,880 in September 2024. Despite increased recruitment, it has proved difficult in recent years to get overall numbers close to target levels. Over the past six years, we have also seen significant population growth, from just under 5 million people in the State in 2020 to approximately 5.4 million people today, an increase of approximately 8%. We must ensure that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to meet the additional demands that population increases in communities across the country bring.

It is also crucial that we see proportionality in the deployment of additional resources and extra gardaí across the country. My home county of Cork accounts for some 11% of the population of the State and has seen significant population growth in recent years. It received an allocation of only five out of 168 probationary gardaí in February, less than 3% of the overall total, while 62% of the February numbers were allocated to Dublin. Without intending to be too parochial about it, we need to see proportionality across the country, bearing in mind the communities, counties, towns and villages that have seen disproportionate population growth.

While An Garda Síochána operates at the heart of our communities, protecting the State, protecting our communities and maintaining law and order, it is not a job without risk. We need to ensure that members of An Garda Síochána and their families are given the protections necessary to enable them to carry out their jobs, bearing in mind the new challenges and threats that exist. We call on this House to condemn threats made against members of An Garda Síochána and the targeting of their families online.

We also remember the 90 members of An Garda Síochána who have lost their lives in the line of duty, the most recent of whom was Garda Kevin Flatley, whose first anniversary was on Monday of this week. We remember Garda Flatley. We also remember Detective Garda Jerry McCabe, who was murdered by the Provisional IRA in Adare in 1996, and whose 30th anniversary will occur next month.

We welcome the decision to increase the maximum age for joining An Garda Síochána from 35 years to 50. This will enable people with other life experiences to join and to bring different perspectives and diversity to the force. We also welcome the decision to increase penalties for attacks on members of An Garda Síochána and front-line workers to up to 12 years' imprisonment. We welcome the introduction of body-worn cameras for members of An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service.

We also welcome the news that Garda numbers are expected to reach 15,000 within the next year. The Minister of State might elaborate on that point. If that target is to be achieved, it would represent a high point in the history of the State. We hope that we can grow the numbers beyond 15,000 in the near future. Particularly with the changes that have come about and the additional incentives, we hope to see a target north of 15,000 become achievable.

We welcome the work that is ongoing to increase capacity at the Garda College to accommodate up to 250 trainees per intake. We also welcome the significant increase in the number of Garda reserves, with a target to increase the number of reserve members to over 600 this year.

We welcome the high-visibility policing operation under way by the Garda, which is often commented on by members of the public. In my experience of interactions as a public representative, I am told that people feel a lot safer. It is something that I have noticed, and it has been very successful. To see gardaí on the beat in the heart of our communities makes people feel safer, in particular business owners. It is to be welcomed, and we would like to see it improved into the future.

In the Bill, we call for the forthcoming pay deal for public servants to reflect the invaluable role of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces in Irish society. We call for the development of new policies to penalise individuals who target members of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces online.

We call for the development of a clear pursuit driving policy, which my colleague Senator O'Donovan will elaborate on in his contribution. We call for gardaí to be provided with a separate driving licence classification for use while on duty and the establishment of a full-time public order unit within An Garda Síochána.

I second the motion. The Minister of State is welcome to the Chamber for this important debate. I would like to acknowledge a friend of mine Michael O'Sullivan from Rosscarbery who was laid to rest on Monday last. He recently celebrated his 90th birthday. Mick had served 39 years as a member of an Garda Síochána. He was much more than a garda; he was a community man at heart. Significantly and deservedly, he was awarded the 2016 overall West Cork Hero award. At the time of receiving his award, his words were that he got happiness from helping people. Mick was the essence of what An Garda Síochána is and continues to be in our communities.

I am a former member of An Garda Síochána and public service is something I have lived and not just spoken about. It is a value that has stayed with me from my early years, through my time in An Garda Síochána and now as a Member of Seanad Éireann. Having worn the uniform, I understand what it represents. It is not just a job; it is a duty to step forward at times when others step back often in difficult and life-threatening situations when their only defence or protective weapon is the strength of their communication. I am proud to have served and have a deep respect for those who continue to serve. Those most close to my family continue to do so.

The motion rightly recognises the crucial role played by An Garda Síochána in protecting our State, maintaining law and order and upholding justice. Gardaí serve communities across Ireland 24 hours a day and go above and beyond the call of duty. I also welcome the recognition the motion affords to continued investment across our justice system in An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Prison Service and the Probation Service. There is no doubt progress has been made. Funding has increased significantly with over €2 billion allocated for 2026. Recruitment is expanding with a target of 15,000 gardaí, the highest number in the history of State. The expansion of the Garda College and the growth in Garda staff freeing up members from front-line duties are all positive steps.

However, we need to go further. I believe we need a police force of 20,000 members and we should be ambitious with our plans. Measures such as body-worn cameras and stronger penalties for attacks on gardaí are important in protecting both members and the public. However, investment alone does not always reflect the reality on the ground. In recent Dáil debates and in this House, concerns have been raised about Garda visibility and morale. While there are political differences, the underlying issue is real. From my experience and from speaking to members today and every other day, I am clear that morale remains under pressure.

We are bringing new people into the organisation, which is essential, but we are also losing experienced members. In 2025 alone, over 200 gardaí retired. This is significant loss of experience and leadership. We need to look at how we retain this knowledge. Consideration should be given to allowing retired members who wish to contribute to continue in their work in a structured capacity. We should not lose his level of expertise because it can still be of benefit to the organisation and to us, the public. The Metropolitan Police in London operates a return scheme for retiring members to continue in the job in a number of roles. We need to learn from this scheme. Many retiring members who would like to continue in work and contribute further but have no clear path to do so. There are also ongoing concerns about pensions, particularly for those who joined post 2013; I was one of them. These issues affect long-term retention and must be addressed once and for all by Government in the upcoming pay negotiations.

Another reality relates to how the time of gardaí is used. We talk about high-visibility policing but too often gardaí are tied up in paperwork and administrative processes. I can attest to this from my own experience. If we want gardaí to be visible in communities, we need to enable them to be visible. That means cutting bureaucracy and ensuring gardaí are supported so they can focus on front-line policing because community policing works. It builds trust, prevents crime and strengthens communities. My suggestion of allowing retiring members to work on, perhaps on court duties, court presenting, preparing a court file, warrants or any one from the long list of internal roles makes common sense. Civilians or Garda staff have a role and have contributed greatly to the organisation. However, we will always need sworn or attested gardaí to carry out investigative and prosecution matters. This would free up more gardaí for on-the-ground policing.

There are criticisms of the new policing model. I have seen how it has functioned within Garda stations. All Members will have heard of these criticisms and some will call for its scrapping. I am calling for an independent review of its implementation to evaluate its successes, its failures, what is working and what is not. We owe it to serving members but it is also prudent management to assess and analyse. That is my view.

The motion calls on the House to condemn threats made against gardaí and their families and that is absolutely necessary. I find it appalling that not all political parties in these Houses have condemned the recent threats on gardaí.

Hear, hear.

No garda and no family member should be targeted or intimidated for doing their job. Respect for gardaí is fundamental to the rule of law in this country. At the same time, gardaí must feel protected in how they carry out their duties. That is why proposals such as a separate driving licence classification for gardaí on duty deserves serious consideration. Members should not face uncertainty when making decisions in the course of protecting the public. Clarity around pursuit driving and operational policy is essential, and we should legislate if necessary for garda safety and public safety.

It is deeply concerning that gardaí have found themselves before the courts for actions taken in the line of duty. In one such situation, a garda responding to reckless use of a scrambler by an individual masked and acting unlawfully took action in the interests of public safety only later to face legal consequences. What message does this send? Gardaí are required to make split-second decisions. They do so to protect the public, prevent harm and uphold the law. These decisions are made in real time and not in hindsight. Of course, accountability matters; it always must. So too does common sense. When gardaí act in good faith to protect the public, they should have the backing of the system not uncertainty about whether they will face legal consequences for doing their job. If that balance is lost, hesitation follows. That hesitation in policing can come at a cost to human safety.

In Cork South-West, we need more gardaí. Law and order is not a political slogan but a necessity of everyday life. Our farming families, fishing communities, tourism sector and local businesses all depend on a strong sense of safety and respect for law. People want to know that if something goes wrong, there is a system and somebody there who will respond with confidence. This is not being heavy handed; it is about being clear.

Respect for the law must be matched by respect for those who enforce it and that is our duty as legislators. Like many families across our land, mine continues to have close ties with An Garda Síochána. I see the professionalism, integrity and commitment that gardaí bring to their everyday work. They deserve clarity in the law, support from us as leaders and confidence from the communities they serve. Right now, there is a growing sense that this balance is not where it should be and that the system is asking gardaí to act but not always standing by them when they do so. That needs to be addressed.

When preparing today's speech, I reflected on an incident I was involved in in New Ross where perpetrators rammed a Garda car after committing a burglary. We combed the district for a number of hours afterwards and we happened to come across the car. I was the driver in the car and I was accompanied by an observer. As the car approached us and the driver saw that it was coming towards a Garda car, it immediately took off. I pursued the car, as was my duty. Continuing on after the car, we came to the site where the car had crashed into a ditch. My first thought was a fear that I might have caused the crash. I had a fear for the safety of the driver and the occupant. Thankfully, they had left the scene and were apprehended afterwards. However, that is the fear that serving members of An Garda Síochána have when making decisions as to whether to pursue and how to act. We have to protect gardaí in the course of their work.

I thank the Minister of State for being here. I welcome and support the motion and the progress it reflects. However, we must continue to go further, not just to invest in An Garda Síochána but to truly support the organisation, the ordinary men and women of the organisation, our family members, to ensure that every garda who puts on the uniform feels it is a job worth doing and to ensure that the communities across Ireland feel safe, supported and protected.

I finish by acknowledging my former colleagues, those serving today and those who served before them, including the 90 members who lost their lives in the line of duty. Their service deserves not just recognition but our continued support. When An Garda Síochána is strong, supported and trusted, our entire country is safer.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit anocht.

Very few things have been said here with which I could possibly disagree. The motion is one I firmly support, but I want to bring some reality to some of the political debate we have had because we now have, as was said here, a massive growth in population. When I was made Minister for justice in 2002, there were 3.9 million people in Ireland. There is now 5.46 million. The number of gardaí for each citizen was one for 330 when I became Minister and it is now one for 378, so we are slipping. It is interesting to note that the number of gardaí was 14,412 in 2008, the year after I left office having reformed Templemore and increased dramatically the facilities there to increase recruitment and training, but 18 years later it is 14,425. Why has that happened? There are serious questions to be asked about this. Our population has gone up and successive political parties have promised that they are going to recruit 3,000 or 5,000 extra gardaí. These promises have been made but none of them have been delivered on. It is good to hear a target of 15,000 for this year but if you look at the number of retirements versus the number of intakes, and four intakes this year of 250 each is the target, that is a gross increase of 1,000, which will probably translate into a net increase of maybe 700 or 800 at the most. We are not keeping up with our responsibilities.

This is not only an issue that affects An Garda Síochána. It also affects the whole question of retaining people in the service of the State. Our Army is supposed to have a strength of 11,800. It is approximately 7,800 now. The Civil Defence's membership has gone down by roughly half, from approximately 5,000 to 2,500. There are huge problems in the State in keeping its security forces and the people who volunteer and serve our State in station and working hard. I will not run down what has been achieved, but the figures per head of the population and the amount of members who are available across the country have increased by tiny numbers. I saw recently a Member of Dáil Éireann welcoming the addition of one garda to his local area. That shows how difficult it is to increase the number of gardaí.

In addition to the number of full-time members of An Garda Síochána, when we introduced the Garda Síochána legislation in my term of office we recruited reservists. The number of reservists, in 2014, was 1,124. Today, it is one less than 300. There are issues there. Plans to recruit more were announced but the results are not there on the ground. I strongly believe An Garda Síochána needs to be invested in. Its membership needs to be expanded. I have no doubt that keeping people, by raising the retirement age and the recruitment age, is a good idea, but all of these things can only be translated into real change if they are driven from the top. They were driven from the top when I was Minister and I will tell the Minister of State why. In the first week of my appointment, one civil servant said to me that if I delivered on the commitment, which we did deliver on, to increase the number of gardaí by 2,000, there would be an increase in reported crime. I always remember being told that across the desk. I said that kind of mentality is the wrong mentality. We needed people who were going to drive the increase with vigour, people who brought the reserve up to nearly 1,200 and people who, over two years or three years, increased the number of An Garda Síochána, as I said, from 11,800 to 14,200. That required effort. It required building a new centre in Templemore. That was done by Duggan contractors in 13 months because then Secretary General of my Department, Mr. Sean Alyward, put his back behind that project.

I am saying now that talk is good enough, promises are good enough and targets are good enough. I am not against any of those things, but I am saying this: delivery is essential. An Garda Síochána is slipping in terms of the number of gardaí compared with the number of people in the population. On the distribution of gardaí, although it is welcome to see them on public streets and the like, and I fully endorse the policy of getting gardaí outside desks and civilianising the non-essential functions, the simple fact is that the people have been made commitment after commitment that An Garda Síochána's strength would increase each of those commitments has failed. That is not due to a lack of political desire but the chronic problem that afflicts this State, which is the failure of the Executive to implement the policies governments are elected to put in place.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Collins, go dtí an Teach seo inniu. I welcome the Minister of State.

On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I welcome the motion put forward here by my colleagues this afternoon. I agree with every single word that was said by them in relation to the motion. I also take on board the sentiments and comments of Senator McDowell, the former Minister for justice, as well.

There is no doubt that being a member of An Garda Síochána is a unique profession. Very few people put their clothes on in the morning, leave the house and perhaps might not come back that evening. Unfortunately, 90 members of An Garda Síochána lost their lives in the course of their duties. That figure puts in stark reality the dangers associated with being a member of the Garda. It can be a worthwhile and rewarding career but it is also a very dangerous career. The Executive must always be aware of the unique job that being a member of An Garda Síochána is.

In relation to the numbers, as Senator McDowell outlined, we currently have in the region of 14,400. The target is to get to 15,000. With the growth in population, more needs to happen in that space. It has been disappointing this last number of years that we have not been able to get the momentum going. There are issues surrounding that in relation to the fact that Templemore was closed for a period and Covid-19, etc. We have to acknowledge that as well. We also have to acknowledge, and it is widely accepted by most commentators, that the team we have in the justice Department at present have all hit the ground running, led ably by the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, ably assisted by the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, and the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy. They are making progress and any fair-minded commentary on the progress within the Department of justice would have to accede to that. I am confident that the figure of 15,000 will be reached. I hope that we will see more movement there and more growth on those figures. The additional works that are going on in Templemore to facilitate bigger intakes is very welcome. Hopefully, we can see that momentum increase in speed as we move forward.

It is important that we get people coming in the door. It is also vital that we do not lose too many people through the exit door. The role the garda representative bodies play in that regard, in being a voice for their members, is worth nothing. The Garda Representative Association, GRA, and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, AGSI, do an excellent job in relaying the needs of their membership. It is important that the Government gives both associations a close ear in relation to what they have to say about what is going on in the job.

My colleagues have mentioned a number of issues, for example, in relation to driving licences. During the course of their duties, God only knows what kinds of scenes gardaí may come upon. They have to act in the moment, and they do so for all the right reasons. When gardaí subsequently get into difficulty, for one reason or another, while carrying out their duties at the site of a traffic accident or what have you, many of them feel they are treated as guilty until proven innocent. That is not the way is should be.

Garda morale has been low in recent years. There has been a change at the top of An Garda Síochána, which has been a positive development. As with the team in the Department of justice, which I alluded to earlier, the new Garda Commissioner has hit the ground running. He has connected with the membership, whereas heretofore others may have struggled in that space.

It is vital that members of An Garda Síochána feel valued by society. We must not tolerate, under any guise, attempts to intimidate members of the Garda or their families. Any fair-minded, right-thinking individual in these Houses would have no problem endorsing that comment.

It is great to see the progress that is being made. We are beginning to get a bit of momentum. As previous speakers alluded to, we need to see that momentum being built on. I am confident that, with the team in place in the Department of justice at the moment, we will see that happening. I welcome the announcement this week of a new recruitment campaign, which was jointly launched by the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and the Commissioner. I encourage all young people who would like a rewarding career in the Garda to apply. I was that soldier for a short period but I moved on after a number of years. I touched on the dangers of being a garda but it is a very rewarding career as well. Officers are out there helping their community, which is very laudable. It can be a worthwhile career for any young or not so young person, as the case may be now, and I encourage anyone who is thinking about it to go ahead and make the application. I am sure they will not regret it.

I acknowledge the fantastic work An Garda Síochána does, in particular community gardaí. I also acknowledge the recent departure of Superintendent Dermot McKenna from Pearse Street Garda station. He was very committed, helpful and engaged with the local community. The residents appreciated the hard work and commitment he put in and his engagement with them. I also wish the new superintendent in Pearse Street Garda station, Mick O'Keeffe, well. He has big shoes to fill but he has already hit the ground running on some local issues, and I know he will continue that commitment to the local community.

I cannot speak highly enough, as others have done, of the work and commitment of local community gardaí. They do a fantastic job working with local groups, individuals and resource centres in so many ways. City Quay, which is not too far from this House, and Pearse Street have constant issues with serious criminality, and gardaí regularly meet residents and work through the particular issues. The residents appreciate what gardaí do and they have regularly acknowledged that to me and to the gardaí themselves.

Gardaí regularly get abuse and harassment and they have to deal with it. By and large, they do so very professionally, and genuine residents know and appreciate the difficulties that gardaí have. As was mentioned, if something happens in the course of a garda's work, for example, while chasing people on scramblers, they should not face legal action. They are fighting some criminals with one arm tied behind their back and they are fearful of the consequences of legal action. It is just not right that they have to face that when they go out to work each day.

Inspector Aidan Murphy and his colleagues Mark Scanlon and Niamh McCarthy in Pearse Street station, and John Healy, Anthony Kelly and Cathal Dunne in Irishtown Garda station, go above and beyond. They are very committed. They do so much work that is not seen and they really care for people in the community. The difficulty is, as Senator McDowell mentioned, that they do not have the numbers, and they are stretched to breaking point. Garda numbers in the south inner city of Dublin have essentially been stagnant for the past decade, despite significant population growth. There is significant criminal activity in the inner city. Gardaí cannot challenge that on a shoestring budget in terms of numbers. There needs to be high visibility policing, and that has definitely improved, but there is a long way to go before residents in Ringsend, Pearse Street, Kevin Street and across the inner city feel safe.

I have another issue that I want to raise. Israel will come here to play Ireland in the Nations League on 4 October 2026. I honestly do not know why the Government is sticking its head in the sand and looking the other way in relation to that. The Government says it is up to the FAI to decide if the team plays Israel and the decision has nothing to do with the Government. This will come during the time Ireland holds the EU Presidency. There will be a lot of policing requirements for that, and there will be policing requirements for the Ireland-Israel match, if it goes ahead and I sincerely hope it does not. The Government says it is not up to it whether the match goes ahead or how it is policed. It is leaving to An Garda Síochána and the FAI to decide something like this. When Poland refused to play Russia, there were no consequences for Poland because it had government support. In Ireland, RTÉ is not participating in Eurovision, which is very welcome, so there are plenty of precedents for refusing to engage with genocidal Israel. It is disappointing that the FAI is willing to ignore Irish football and its own congress by facilitating sportswashing.

When it comes to policing, will the Government engage with the FAI and An Garda Síochána to ensure that participants in the match with Israel will be security screened or are they going to look the other way and allow Israel Defense Forces, IDF, members who have participated in genocide to come into this country? Is there any sense that the Government is going to take action and hold Israel and the Israeli authorities to account or is it going to allow killers to come here and enjoy and sportswash football, and then off they go again? It will obviously be a big security job, and the Government has to take responsibility for it.

I ask Senators to confine their comments to what the motion is about.

Cuirim fáilte go dtí an Seanad roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, for their constant availability to the Upper House. I thank my Fine Gael colleagues for bringing forward this excellent Private Members' motion. I am very impressed with it. Well done.

I have a special grá for gardaí. When I was a very young child, the lady next door, the widow of a former garda, used to keep the new gardaí who came to town in lodgings so I grew up knowing them. They were always very kind. They used to bring me down to the Garda barracks and really made big of me. Since then, I have a big grá for gardaí. In 1984, when I did my leaving certificate, I looked into applying to An Garda Síochána but, unfortunately, at that time, there was a height restriction in place. It will not come as any surprise that I was well short of the threshold.

It has been reduced.

I would not have made it. I tried to plead that, what I lacked in height, I made up for in heart but, unfortunately, my pleas fell on deaf ears. They will never know what they missed.

The age limit is now 50.

I would definitely fit in there. I welcome the decision to increase the maximum age at which one can join An Garda Síochána. As the Minister of State has just said, it is now 50. That is now very young whereas 35 would once have been ridiculous. A lot of people now go to college and do a master's degree or other things. They are nearly 30 by the time they get out into the real world so it is important that the age limit increased.

I also welcome the decision to increase the penalty for attacks on members of An Garda Síochána and other front-line workers to up to 12 years' imprisonment. It is shocking that gardaí, who work so hard, and other front-line workers can face these attacks. I also welcome the introduction of body-worn cameras for members of the Garda and the Irish Prison Service. I hope that being on camera will act as a deterrent.

It is great that Garda numbers are expected to reach 15,000 within the next year. This will be the highest number in the history of the State. It is great that work is ongoing to increase capacity at the Garda College to accommodate up to 250 trainees per intake. It is very important that there is a constant large turnover of gardaí coming out of Templemore. The increased numbers in the Garda Reserve is great. There is now a target to increase the number of reserve members to over 600 this year. I acknowledge the role members of the Garda Reserve play. It is great that high-visibility policing operations are now under way. The presence of gardaí on the streets is very important.

I support my colleagues in calling for the forthcoming pay deal for public servants to reflect the invaluable role of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces in Irish society. I also support the call for this House to condemn threats made against members of An Garda Síochána and the targeting of their families online. It is shocking when anybody's family is brought into anything and abused. I call for the development of new policies to penalise individuals who target members of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces online or in person.

The development of a clear pursuit driving policy for members of An Garda Síochána would be very welcome. I also support the call for gardaí to be provided with a separate driving licence classification for use while on duty and the establishment of a full-time public order unit within An Garda Síochána. I would like to go on record today as thanking members of An Garda Síochána for all they do.

I will be sharing time with Senator Joe O'Reilly. The Minister of State is welcome. I echo the sentiments of previous speakers regarding our respect for the job An Garda Síochána does. An Garda Síochána was founded on the vision of Michael Staines, the first Commissioner, that the force would succeed through moral authority as servants of the people. As has been mentioned, we should be very proud of the fact that our gardaí police by consent. That has been their ethos ever since the force was established back in 1922. This means gardaí rely on public approval, trust and moral authority rather than armed force. That is something we should all be very proud of.

Previous speakers have mentioned many of the points made in this Private Members' motion but I will reiterate the main point, which is that new policies should be developed to penalise individuals who target members of An Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces online. We need to be fairly specific that this includes both the perpetrators and the antagonists because quite a few people online say things that instigate these situations. We really have to stand up for members of An Garda Síochána, support them and legislate properly to protect them. That is why I welcome that particular element of the motion.

I will also highlight something a number of other people have said regarding the upcoming pay negotiations. I personally do not feel An Garda Síochána should be involved in the public sector pay talks. It should be treated as a separate unit because of the job its members do. Ninety members of An Garda Síochána have been killed in the line of duty. Very few other sectors can say that. I will take a moment to recognise Detective Garda John Morley and Garda Henry Byrne from my hometown station in Castlerea in Roscommon, who were both shot down on 7 July 1980, and Detective Colm Horkan, who was killed more recently, on 17 June 2020.

While negotiating, we also need to look at the model of policing in this country. We all see the numbers coming out of Templemore and where they are going. They are going towards the urban centres because that is where the model sees a need for them. However, I believe we need a two-tier model. We need a different model for rural Ireland because gardaí are being asked to police rural areas in the same way as urban areas. That model is not working.

I wish Commissioner Justin Kelly the very best. He is one of the Garda's own. He is seen as somebody who understands the role. I give this motion my full support.

One of the greatest successes of our independent Irish State has been An Garda Síochána, an unarmed force that has won the respect of the communities it serves and that polices by moral authority. However, that is not to suggest that we do not have to take cognisance of recent developments in this country, such as recent riots, and to protect and support our gardaí in very difficult situations. That is why body cameras are to be welcomed and the point regard driving licences is very pertinent. I would like the Minister of State to address that. We have to look at every way in which we can protect members of An Garda Síochána and support them with armed support units and so on in riot situations.

Pay has been mentioned. The pay needs to reflect the value we put on our gardaí. If we pay them well, people will want to join, which will deal with the numbers issue. I personally believe An Garda Síochána should have a presence. Members are well served by the AGSI, the GRA and the Association of Garda Superintendents. I would like to see the Garda having a presence in collective bargaining. Its members' voices should be heard there, along with every union. I would like the Minister of State to respond to that point. That does not preclude restrictions on arbitrary collective strikes but they should have a presence at the pay negotiations.

There is also an issue with pensions for our gardaí. It relates to gardaí who have already served a full term.

Thankfully, they are now allowed to serve a longer term, which is a welcome development. They normally go on serving for another ten years, give or take. That is good and they are well fit to do it and bring to the job great experience. However, when they are pensioned there is no reflection of those years. There is no extra recognition that they gave the State extra service. There is no extra recognition of the experience they brought to the force. I would like the Minister of State to address that point in his response. I think we should be doing something on that issue.

The move to administration being dealt with by non-gardaí has been important. I would like the Minister of State to share the degree to which we have achieved that so we can get our gardaí into non-administrative roles and have the administrative roles taken by laypeople. We have advanced a good deal in that regard and I would like the Minister of State to elaborate and tell us if there are lacunas.

Every garda is a community police person. That is the strength of the Garda. At the same time, designated community police people are very important for communities. They build bridges and relationships.

I would like the Minister of State to let us know where we are with the following topic. Tragically, we need a very strong drugs unit at this time in the country. We need a number of young undercover gardaí to deal with substance abuse and the drugs that are all too prevalent in the smallest and most isolated villages around our country. We need to put numbers and resources in there.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I will preface my contribution with a short anecdote. It may seem a little astray of the point in the beginning but I hope to tie things together at the end to illustrate a pertinent point about policing. Those who are old enough, and not many of us here are, might cast their minds back to a fine summer's morning in 1978 and picture the quayside at Rosslare Harbour. Parked there was an unmarked Garda car, a Hillman Avenger. Not many of those present will remember those cars either. Inside it were two plain clothes gardaí based in Ballybricken Garda station in Waterford. Their task that morning was to greet the ferry coming from Fishguard and to escort two VIPs all the way across the division from Rosslare to where the Waterford division ended at Youghal Bridge. The people in question were the United Kingdom ambassador to the United States at the time, Peter Jay, and his wife, Margaret Callaghan. They were VIPs on that basis alone, but were also VIPs because Margaret Callaghan was the daughter of the then British Prime Minister, James Callaghan. They had a house in Glandore, County Cork. The two lads were detailed to follow them all the way from Rosslare Harbour to Youghal Bridge, which they did initially. Peter Jay was driving one of these great big Volvo estates and took off at high speed and the two lads in the Avenger behind were having great difficulty keeping him in sight. That was the state of play until they got to Waterford, where, mercifully, the Jays pulled in at the quayside to breakfast in the Granville Hotel. The two guys in the Avenger said they were not going to have this all the way to Youghal bridge, so they hotfooted up to the station in Ballybricken and borrowed a special detective unit Vauxhall Victor. They said to themselves that they would keep the Jays in sight until he got to Youghal Bridge. The gardaí waited for the Jays to come out. After breakfast, the Jays came out and restarted the journey. However, the gardaí noticed something different. Mrs. Jay was now driving. She beetled all the way to Youghal Bridge at a steady 35 miles per hour. The gardaí were grossly overpowered in their pursuit.

That story was told to me by one of the guys in that car. It illustrates to me that policing is inherently a most uncertain profession. What happened there was a microcosm of what happens in policing. An integral part of policing is that the person going out in the morning or the person at the top of the organisation does not know how the whole situation is going to pan out. I was thinking this afternoon about the integral ingredients of good policing. I would put it down to good training and education of the aspiring policemen and policewomen, good leadership at the top that does not lose the dressing room and demoralise the force, and the fact that these people are given a status in society such that they are not vindictively chased by the keyboard warriors, or indeed the people who are intimidating them on the street or when they go for a drink in their locality or whatever.

We in this State are blessed that we have a police force that acts as the guardians of the security of the State. The translation of "An Garda Síochána" is "the guardians of the peace" and it provides the security of the State. The Garda must be supported not just to look at the human rights of the downtrodden and dispossessed; it must also look at the human rights of the silent majority. That is an eternal balancing act that the Garda must do. The silent majority, the people who are law-abiding citizens, must also be looked to.

From my perspective and from talking to many of them, gardaí are becoming demoralised from what they would see as weak leadership in many instances. That has changed recently, as some of the other Senators have adverted to, but they have been victims of disaffection from leadership in recent years. It is to the credit of the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and his team, including the Ministers of State, Deputies Brophy and Collins, that we are making an investment in the people we have recruited, who have an inherent esprit de corps in An Garda Síochána. That is important. Mistakes were made in the past.

I am happy to support this great motion. I have heard some great contributions, particularly from the two guys who served. That was very enlivening. There is little in the motion that I would not wholeheartedly support. However, we must keep an eye to the awful intimidation of members of the force, both online and in person.

The Minister of State is very welcome to the Chamber. I thank our Fine Gael colleagues for bringing forward this motion, which I wholeheartedly support. I thank them for this opportunity to discuss matters as they pertain to the Garda and recognise the strong and good work that is being done right across the country, and, in particular, to recognise the work and innovation that I see in the Garda force in Limerick.

I congratulate everyone involved on the success of the high-visibility policing initiative that came to Limerick in March. It has increased the visibility of gardaí on our streets throughout the day, in the evening and through the night. I am hearing positive comments from business owners, people coming to the city to shop, people coming to the city to socialise and people who live in the city centre. There is a huge sense of added security and safety when you come into Limerick city centre. I congratulate everyone involved on the success of the initiative. I thank the Minister for upholding a commitment by both parties in the programme for Government to increase the visibility of gardaí in our city centres and urban centres. The reports are that it not just improving public confidence but is also acting as a strong deterrent to antisocial behaviour and criminality. In fact, the success of the initiative is, if anything, increasing the demand we have been seeing anyhow in the east of Limerick in Castletroy for our own Garda station in Castletroy and that increased visibility in the area.

I know that being a Limerick man the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, is well aware that Castletroy is one of the fastest growing urban centres in the country. It has a major student population during term time. It is the site of two business parks with a number of people going in to work there daily. During term time it is estimated that the population of Castletroy is 40,000 people and yet it does not have its own Garda station. Castletroy is covered from Castleconnell by the Garda station there, which covers from Castleconnell all the way right into the city and the city limits. In my view and in the view of many public representatives and Fianna Fáil councillors in the area, it is long overdue. A commitment was made in the previous Government and the OPW was requested to identify a site that would be a suitable location. Could the Minister of State possibly seek an update for us on that selection? The people of Castletroy, Monaleen and Annacotty deserve that visible permanent Garda presence in our community and I urge the Minister of State to advocate for us on that.

There is a lot of positivity and innovation in Limerick and in the force to highlight. I want to name three projects. There is the body-worn camera pilot, which Limerick is proud to be involved in together with Dublin and Waterford. Feedback from members of An Garda Síochána themselves is that it is making an impact in their interactions with people in their job. They report that once the cameras are switched on there is a screen underneath the camera that displays to the person they are talking to what the garda is recording. People know they are being recorded and it helps to de-escalate situations, to improve behaviour and to change the tone of engagement straight away. In that respect it is perceived to be a huge success already. In Limerick we are proud that we were the first in the country to secure a conviction in the courts using body-worn camera footage so congratulations to everybody involved in that. I strongly support the Minister's ambition to roll out body-worn cameras to every front-line garda across the country.

The second innovation I want to highlight is the community access support team initiative, which is the CAST pilot programme. I have spoken about it in this House many times, as has my colleague, Senator Maria Byrne. It is something we are very proud of in Limerick. It is a pioneering initiative that places gardaí and mental health professionals in the same squad car. When a 999 call comes in and a response is sent out it means that a more diverse response is enabled with the CAST team. In other words, a policing response is not always the most appropriate response in some particular situations, for example in some domestic violence incidents or where people are having a moment of mental health crisis. To have that mental health professional in the car to be able to assist in de-escalating the situation, and crucially, for them to be able to go back and follow up in the days after the initial crisis moment, has in the view of the Garda in Limerick and the HSE in Limerick not only significantly reduced presentations to the hospital in UHL but also has been instrumental in saving lives. I commend everybody involved in that, especially Superintendent Andrew Lacey who really drove the project for us in Limerick. Councillor Cillian Keane in Galway West is calling for it to be implemented in Galway. Will the Minister of State get an update for us on when this initiative will move from pilot phase to be assessed and considered for roll-out across the country?

I would also like to make a call out for the CCTV camera and security monitoring facility in the Moyross Community Enterprise Centre. It is a crucial piece of policing infrastructure in Limerick. It has kind of fallen between two stools in the last year. It was initially part of the regeneration funding in Limerick. It has live feeds from 400 cameras right across the county. It is used daily by the Garda. We do need a commitment for it to be funded fully by the Department of justice in this year's budget.

I understand that Senators Ahearn and Nelson Murray are sharing time.

I was smiling when I was listening to Senator McDowell speak of when he was the Minister for Justice in 2018. He might not remember but it reminded me of when he was at a passing out event in Templemore. I was a student and I was doing some small piece of work for Tipperary Mid West Radio for the news department. I was sent off to get an interview with him. I thought my best chance was by just telling him who I was and who my mother was so I would have a good chance to get an interview. It worked and he was very kind at the time to do it. When the Senator was speaking just now about numbers in 2008 it reminded me of that.

Senator McDowell spoke about Garda numbers. The figures were at their highest in 2008 and 2009. It is strategic to talk about those years. The Senator said we need to talk about why we have not reached those figures. It is quite easy to figure that out. Because of the financial crash, the Government at the time in 2009 had to make decisions. Dermot Ahern was the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform at the time and he had to close Templemore. That was subsequently closed for five years. The numbers of gardaí reduced by almost 2,000 into the 12,000 figures. It was a Fine Gael-led Government and a Fine Gael Minister who reopened Templemore in September 2014. If there is any reassurance I can give to Senator McDowell or any other Senator about whether we can reach figures, it is that every single year since 2014, the number of serving gardaí in this country has increased, bar one year because Templemore had to be closed because of Covid. There has been yearly proof while Fine Gael has been in government and while Fine Gael Ministers for justice have been there, and now with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, that numbers have increased year on year. Are we where we want to be? No. Have we proven every single year that we are going to get to where we want? Yes we have.

In the last months, and in the last number of years when it has happened once or twice, there are people who are Members of this House and the Lower House, people who are in public service, and people who are running to be Members of this House, who cannot condemn attacks on members of An Garda Síochána. I find it incredible. Have we really come to a place where Members of these Houses or people who want to be Members of these Houses cannot condemn attacks on members of An Garda Síochána?

I could speak of most of the contributions but I think Senator Noel O' Donovan spoke so well. We are very happy to have someone who is former member of An Garda Síochána speak so well about it. The relocation scheme needs to be changed and qualifications should be recognised. This happens in other professions and it does not happen as much as it should in An Garda Síochána. We have countless examples where people want to relocate and cannot. I know someone who was trying for five years to relocate but could not and has now left An Garda Síochána. They did not want to leave but had to leave.

I concur with my colleague Senator Ahearn on the relocation issue. I have been trying to help a couple of gardaí in that way as well. Again, they are looking at leaving because they just cannot get closer to home, and especially for women who might have had a baby or are planning a family and do not want to be too far away.

I am proud to support this Fine Gael motion. I thank Senators Kelleher and Noel O'Donovan. The motion includes proposals around the online harassment of gardaí, Garda pursuit driving rules, a dedicated Garda driving licence category, stronger public policing capacity, and further Garda recruitment support measures.

As someone living in Meath we have all seen how much pressure gardaí are under locally. Incidents in Navan in particular, and across the county, over the last year have shown that policing today is far more dangerous and unpredictable than it used to be. Our Garda numbers in Meath are: 103 gardaí in Navan; 48 gardaí in Trim; 36 gardaí in Kells; and 155 gardaí in Ashbourne. Gardaí are responding to violent assaults, armed incidents, public disorder situations, dangerous driving, organised crime, and mental health crises. Sometimes that can all be in one shift. When people dial 999 they expect gardaí to run towards danger on behalf of the rest of us. It is only fair that the State gives them the protection, clarity and support they need to do their job safely.

With the 999 calls, people are now told to ring 999 even for the smallest instances like someone stealing a can of Red Bull out of a shop. Many of us would feel that ringing this number should only be for emergencies. In the past we would have called the Garda station, so this is something that people are finding hard to get used to.

These days, gardaí are for our St. Patrick’s Day parades, our Darkness into Light walks and the turning on of our Christmas tree lights. They support our communities and we need to support them. The proposals around stronger penalties for intimidation and abuse are important because no garda or their family should have to live with threats or harassment simply for doing their job. We have also seen how quickly public order situations can escalate, which is why having properly trained public order units matters for community safety.

The motion also recognises that gardaí need clearer operational rules, especially around pursuit driving and emergency response. Split-second decisions should not leave members fearing unfair personal consequences when they are trying to protect the public. Most importantly, supporting gardaí is about supporting safer communities. People in Meath want safe town centres, safer roads, protection from violent crime and quick emergency responses when something goes wrong. Garda members cannot provide that level of service if they feel unsupported or overstretched. This motion sends a message that we absolutely value the work gardaí do every day and that we are prepared to stand behind them.

I welcome the Minister of State. I acknowledge the extraordinary service, dedication and sacrifice that gardaí make across this State. They put their lives on the line every day. Every single day, gardaí put themselves in harm to protect others, serve their communities and make people feel safe. I remember the 90 gardaí who lost their lives in the line of duty.

No one in this House should underestimate the importance of An Garda Síochána to communities across Ireland. We are speaking to this motion on investment, recruitment and visibility in An Garda Síochána, but rural communities in Ireland have a different experience in this regard. In rural Ireland, people do not measure safety by Government press releases or funding announcements and figures. They measure it by whether they see a Garda station open in their town or Garda patrols on their rural roads. They measure it by how long it takes assistance to arrive when they ring for help. Increasingly, people across rural communities feel abandoned. Across rural counties, Garda stations have been closed, opening hours have been reduced and front-line visibility has diminished over many years. Communities that once had a local Garda station presence now see those stations sitting idle and shuttered, while people are expected to rely on services that are many miles away, in some cases. For older people living alone, small business owners, farming families and isolated rural communities, the closure of a Garda station has a profound impact. It is not just about safety but confidence and reassurance. The local Garda station was never just a building; it represented presence, connection and trust within a community. We cannot speak about supporting gardaí while continually hollowing out policing infrastructure in rural Ireland.

Another major concern is the clear lack of roads policing across rural Ireland. For the past couple of weeks, probably for a month or more, the transport committee has looked at the issue of road safety. A lot of the time, with every group that comes in, we come back to the issue of Garda numbers and the amount of roads policing we have. Each group said that incidents of road fatalities or major injuries from road accidents would decrease if there were more gardaí on the roads. People can see this themselves. Dangerous driving has become increasingly common on rural roads. Excessive speeding, dangerous overtaking, drug driving and the use of mobile phones behind the wheel are putting people at risk every day. Yet, many rural communities rarely see policing units.

At a time when road deaths are rising and families continue to suffer devastating losses, a serious question must be asked - where are the Garda resources on our rural roads? Rural Ireland has a unique road network, with long distances, narrow roads, poor lighting and limited public transport options. For many people, driving is not an option; it is essential. This makes effective road policing all the more important in our rural areas. We need significant increased investment in dedicated road policing units, particularly in our rural counties. We need greater Garda visibility on secondary and regional roads, not just on our motorways and urban routes. A Garda car on a rural road will not only slow traffic and deter reckless behaviour, it will also save lives.

I acknowledge the pressures gardaí are under. Many gardaí in rural stations are overstretched, under-resourced and covering vast geographical areas. Recruitment alone will not solve these problems unless those new gardaí are deployed into front-line, rural policing roles. Communities want to see Garda numbers translated into real local presence. This motion refers to the high-visibility policing operation. Rural communities deserve that visibility too. Members will become sick of my giving out about rural communities not seeing enough, but that is the theme to my day. Too often, resources are concentrated in urban centres, while towns and villages in rural Ireland are forgotten about. I see that where I live. I have never passed a checkpoint on a rural road. The last time I saw a checkpoint - I noted this at the transport committee this morning - was during Covid when gardaí asked us where we were going. That is the last time I saw a checkpoint and I have travelled on lots of roads around County Limerick.

I acknowledge that we have a new Garda station opening in Newcastle West later this year. It is a fantastic, modern facility for the town and the wider west Limerick region. It is badly needed but there are concerns that we will not have the gardaí to staff this fantastic new building. Those in the community with whom I have spoken are asking fair questions in this regard. What is the point in investing millions of euro in new infrastructure when we do not have enough front-line gardaí available to provide the policing that is needed with this infrastructure? Rural communities do not need buildings alone. They need boots on the ground, gardaí visible in their towns and villages, gardaí patrolling rural roads and available to respond quickly when incidents occur. I have seen this issue in Newcastle West. We do not have enough gardaí when a serious accident occurs on the main road, the N21. Those gardaí are pulled to the accident and, if something else happens, no other gardaí are available. The Garda station is more or less closed

At the end of the day, crime does not stop at a city boundary. Rural crime is a major issue and we have all heard about it in this Chamber. Burglary, farm, fuel and machinery theft and antisocial behaviour impact rural communities. People in rural Ireland deserve to have the same sense of security. I am delighted this motion has been brought forward because I am a true advocate for An Garda Síochána and the need to see its numbers increase everywhere, not just in cities and towns. I would like to see our community gardaí come back. I know a lot of people near me would love to see our community policing ramped up again because they were a part of our community.

I thank colleagues for bringing forward this motion. It is a very extensive and welcome motion. Like Senator McDowell, I too was a backbencher back in the late 2000s when we went through the Celtic tiger. It was a time when banks took decisions in this country that were not subject to policy we introduced, and they wrecked the economy. I was one of those backbenchers who took decisions that one of my colleagues alluded to a while ago. We took hard decisions, such as closing Templemore Garda College in 2008 to 2014. As a representative back in those days, along with 59 of my colleagues who lost their seats, we made those decisions knowing it would threaten our seats, but our policy was country first. That is part of the reason that we, as a party, are back today as the largest party in the State. We must show a little bit of respect to those people who took those decisions because that was heavy lifting. Sometimes, as politicians, that must be done in order to move forward. Thankfully, as a result of those tough decisions that were taken, Fine Gael was in a position to move things on, and it did. We continue on that road today.

A number of things have been alluded to. I am particularly pleased that during the tenure of the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, and his Fine Gael colleague, Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, along with the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, the mood within An Garda Síochána has transformed. It is not that long ago that we had a Garda Commissioner whereby the mood was different. That recruitment and approach have changed the mood in An Garda Síochána.

It has to be commended on that. Moreover, as others have said, the presence of An Garda Síochána over the past year and more on our streets and in our rural areas has been welcome. This response says it all about the mood between Government, the Commissioner and An Garda Síochána. We can have all the numbers we want, but if we do not have relations right and structures working properly, it is not going to be a good day for the policing of our country.

I come from a county along the border with Northern Ireland. Recently, I have been having discussions with gardaí on the beat and senior gardaí in Donegal. We are probably in an unusual situation, given over the years there was so much heavy policing in the Border, whether it be in Northern Ireland or the Border region. The situation now is that resources in Northern Ireland are so low that the PSNI is asking colleagues from the Border counties to take on investigation of cross-Border crime because it does not have the resources. Some of those who come in here and tell us how to run the police services have the opportunity in Northern Ireland and they are not stepping up. However, there are real issues on the ground, particularly in the Border counties. Senator Joe O'Reilly raised this as well. There are much greater issues now with cross-Border crime but also with the cross-Border drug trade, whether that be on the ground, by air and on the coast. It is a very serious problem now. If ever there was a greater need to increase numbers again on the Border, it is now. Gardaí are dealing with a colossal amount of work. We really need a reinvestigation of our numbers on the Border and the workload they are carrying.

Finally, to be more parochial, our county town is Lifford but our principal town is Letterkenny. We have a Garda station with 140 to 150 gardaí and it is no longer fit for purpose. I ask the Minister of State to start examining their needs. Whether it be through a new station or an extension, the process needs to start. I would appreciate if he could take a look at that. I thank him for his time.

I wish to share half my time with Senator Mark Duffy.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I commend my colleagues Senator Kelleher, and former Garda, Senator Noel O'Donovan, on bringing forward the motion. It is a welcome and opportune motion for the time we have with the various serious criminality that is, unfortunately, finding its way into our streets. It is an issue that has been discussed up and down the Chamber this evening and the real need to support our gardaí. I am thinking of the 597 gardaí who are stationed in the Wexford-Wicklow Garda division. In particular, I am thinking about the four gardaí from Wexford, including Garda Roe, Garda Fogarty and Garda Nolan, who lost their lives in the line of duty. I also think of Garda Seamus Quaid who was killed 45 years ago by members of the Provisional IRA when he apprehended a van filled with explosives following the IRA robbing a bank. He was killed in the line of duty as a member of An Garda Síochána. He was shot in a gunfight. The reality for gardaí up and down the country is that they put their lives first into harm's way. They are the ones who go into the danger. The reality for all of us in this Chamber is that there an obligation and an onus on us to support the men and women of An Garda Síochána. The motion proposes a number of real, practical measures on behalf of the Fine Gael group of Senators that would allow us to do that. There is a real need to support the men and women who pursue in vehicles suspects of crime. It should never be the case that a garda who puts on the blue lights and goes after a suspect in a chase would find themselves up before the courts being prosecuted for dangerous driving. There are always examples of where there is a need to have that on the Statute Book but my first priority would be to support the men and women and to prevent them from being prosecuted from dangerous driving when they are pursuing suspects fleeing from a crime. We need clear, legislative change in this area. I call on the Minister of State, the Department and all of us in this House to support that change. There is a vacuum in the law and we have an opportunity to fix it. That is what we should be doing. I support this motion.

I thank the Minister of State for being here and I thank my colleagues for putting forward such an important Private Members' motion. Like Senator Cathal Byrne, I wish to first acknowledge the fallen heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty in service to the State. The gardaí from my home county of Mayo are Garda Brian MacNeill, Garda Henry Gerard Byrne, Detective John Morley, Garda Robert McCallion, Detective Garda Colm Horkan, and fellow Ballina man, Garda Anthony Golden. Some of these gave the ultimate sacrifice against dissident republicanism and domestic terrorism. Murders and terrorism have been mentioned, as have potential supporters coming to Dublin, but we must also be mindful that we have a duty to protect our own gardaí across the country. However, I have long been an advocate, through joint policing committees, which are now known as local community safety partnerships, of supporting An Garda Síochána, and particularly the community policing model, which is an excellent model. An Garda Síochána are the guardians of the peace, are touchpoints in rural isolated areas and are a presence and a security for people who are vulnerable and feel unsafe.

My sister is a long-serving member of An Garda Síochána and we are proud of the contribution she has made in our family. The community policing model is something we need to have rolled out to every corner of the country in rural and urban areas. As has been mentioned, there was the good suggestion of the administrative burden being taken away from those who can be out and about and on the beat as a presence on streets and in communities. They provide great dignity, even at times of funerals. I have seen recently in my home town the presence gardaí provide. Whether it is a festival, a happy occasion or a sad occasion, they are there and they make our communities safe and vibrant. It is important to ensure it is an attractive job. It has become less attractive to become a member of the force especially in recent years. We see that with the agitation online, the doxing of gardaí and the intimidation that is being caused. We need to be very strong to support and defend their integrity, identity and privacy. It is important they have support such as expenses they may receive to be in line with inflation. That is something that has been raised by the Garda Representative Association.

Finally, the importance of the accountability within the force itself is an issue that has been raised recently. Gardaí are not above the law and it is important that when instances arise of internal matters, they are supported and are dealt with, in particular that women gardaí are protected and supported in cases that may arise where their safety is threatened internally as well.

The Minister of State is welcome to the House. I commend my Fine Gael colleagues on tabling a well thought-out motion.

We can never speak highly enough or often enough in this House in support of An Garda Síochána. Over the years we have discussed An Garda Síochána frequently in this House. They have had many challenges and too many members of the force have lost their lives in the line of duty. We always remember them for the service they gave to the State, which was the ultimate price, and we think of their families as well.

The gardaí in this country have a fantastic relationship with the community and that is something that An Garda Síochána is built on. That is why we need to see more gardaí among our community. Their mere presence is a deterrent to a whole raft of different issues, from antisocial behaviour to robbery to just young fellas acting the maggot.

I agree with the comments about the morale within An Garda Síochána. It certainly has improved in recent times and that is something that absolutely has to be welcomed because, for too long and too often, we have heard gardaí talking about the low morale, so that is a positive. However, morale will improve even further if they are respected with proper recompense in terms of allowances and expenses to ensure they are not out of pocket through doing their duty.

We need to safeguard them as well. The motion alludes to issuing them with separate licences so if they are on the unfortunate side of a chase that they are protected. The recent initiative of equipping gardaí with body cameras will provide them with protection. We had a situation where anybody could record a garda except a garda themselves. That was bizarre.

In my county of Clare, and my own area of Clare which the Minister of State is very familiar with, there has been an unfortunate rise in antisocial behaviour. We need to see an extra shift of An Garda Síochána in the Ennistymon district. The problem is if there is a shift during which a garda has to attend an incident which then necessitates somebody being arrested, they have to be brought to Ennis to be detained. That is a round trip of an hour at a minimum but more likely two to three hours because of the paperwork involved and so on. The area is then exposed when the car has gone to Ennis. That needs to be addressed. We are hitting the summer period now and we are going to see thousands of people descend on County Clare for what will hopefully be a very nice and pleasant summer. In my area we need to see an extra couple of gardaí on the shifts so if there is a situation where action has to be taken, at least cover exists.

In Ennis there was a recent briefing with Oireachtas Members and local councillors regarding the issue of manpower in Ennis. We need to see more gardaí. I acknowledge the progress that has been made and it is great to see the numbers of gardaí that are out on patrol now. That is very positive. We need to see that percolate right down to places that might not necessarily have benefited such as County Clare and other areas.

This is a motion of support for An Garda Síochána. That is something I welcome, endorse, support and encourage. As I said at the outset, anything we can say or do in this House to highlight the fantastic work of An Garda Síochána and support them in the work they do is something we should do, should welcome and encourage.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to discuss this important issue. I compliment my colleagues, Senators Gallagher and O'Donovan, along with everyone else who contributed to this all-important motion.

As the Minister of State is aware, I do a lot of work in the area of Ballinacurra in County Limerick where, every day, the gardaí are on duty along with the staff based in the school and the community centre. The Minister of State will be coming to visit us there in the very near future. I compliment An Garda Síochána for the Trojan work its members do because there is a high level of criminality in the area. There is everything from drug dealing to people in protective custody. There is a lot going on in the area. However, the gardaí go out there and put themselves on the front line every day alongside the staff working in the community centre. That needs to be acknowledged.

The thrust of this motion is about protecting the gardaí who are out there putting their lives at risk. There has been reference made to the 90 gardaí who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The fact is that gardaí are out there going above and beyond their call of duty on a daily basis. The motion is talking about a specific driving licence and also about gardaí involved in a chase being protected. It is about putting greater supports in place to support An Garda Síochána members in their work.

Senator Ryan referred to the community access support teams, CAST, project in Limerick and the gardaí involved in running that project. I believe that is something that should be expanded out to other areas in Ireland. I am sure the Minister of State is looking at that in terms of the Department.

I want to pay tribute to the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, the current Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, and the former Minister for justice, Deputy Helen McEntee, for their different strengths and the different ways they have brought in changes within the Department by working with An Garda Síochána, the powers they have invested in An Garda Síochána and creating those greater strengths going forward.

I listened to Senators Gallagher and O'Donovan, as former members of the force, about the work they carried out on a daily basis. I have worked alongside gardaí and have been in regular contact with them, including gardaí from Roxboro Road Garda Station and Henry Street Garda Station. I recently saw that gardaí were outside Moyross working with older people and advising them around security and how to protect themselves. They meet with residents' associations. The job of a garda has expanded over many years. Many of them are out working with youth groups, playing soccer and sport with them. That is about building relationships with them, keeping young people in a safe environment and encouraging them to get involved in sport. I believe encouraging young people and having the gardaí playing alongside them is a good way of keeping young people on the straight and narrow. While some do get involved in different areas of criminality, the gardaí are forging more and more relationships with them. That is down to the community policing model. I see that in County Limerick there is a very strong community policing model. I wish to pay compliment to all gardaí, from the chief superintendent down to the new recruit, because they are being encouraged all the time. I pay compliment to all involved in bringing forward this motion. I strongly support it and also support strengthening the hand of An Garda Síochána to give its members greater powers and more resilience in terms of working with groups.

I am very pleased to be here to respond to this Senators on this important debate on behalf of the Government.

As Minister of State at the Department of justice, I am clear that protecting the security of the people of Ireland, through An Garda Síochána, and building stronger, safer communities, is one of our most important duties in government.

I express my thanks and that of the Government to every member of An Garda Síochána, who show such professionalism, commitment and courage in guaranteeing the safety and security of the State.

Backing and building An Garda Síochána is a major priority for this Government and, as the motion asserts, this is evidenced by the investment we are making, by the reform we are driving and by the personal commitment and effort made across the service and the system day to day. This Government is investing in An Garda Síochána and securing the resources that the Commissioner and all his senior team need to support members and support and grow the service. In budget 2026, an unprecedented budget of €2.74 billion was secured for An Garda Síochána. The increased funding will support a range of activities, and I want to focus on a couple in particular today. We all agree we need a larger Garda organisation. The Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, has stated numerous times that supporting An Garda Síochána, in whatever way possible, is one of his main priorities as Minister. Increasing the size of the organisation is at the forefront of that commitment. This Government is committed to recruiting at least 5,000 new Garda recruits and additional Garda staff by 2030.

Recruitment into An Garda Síochána has significant momentum now and we are very close to having the highest number of gardaí in the history of the State. This week, the Minister and I, along with the Commissioner, launched a new Garda recruitment campaign. On 1 May, we had the most recent attestation of newly qualified gardaí. There are, as of the end of March this year, 14,495 attested gardaí serving. More broadly, the overall Garda workforce has increased from 15,980 in 2016 to 18,276 in 2026. More than 2,800 people have entered the Garda College since it reopened in 2022. Just under 800 trainees entered the Garda College in 2025, the highest number since 2018. In the first intake this year, 215 recruits entered Templemore and a further class of 201 entered earlier this month. This is the fourth intake in a row with over 200 recruits. Work is under way to increase the capacity at the Garda College in Templemore, with the support of the OPW. When that additional capacity comes on stream, we will be able to accommodate 500 Garda trainees on site at any one time.

Another focus is ensuring Garda stations are fit for purpose. It is important that gardaí are stationed in modern workplaces that are up to standard. Late last year, following the review of the national development plan, the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, secured €2.18 billion for a justice sectoral investment plan out to 2030. Some €911 million of this is allocated to Garda projects, including the completion of new Garda stations in Portlaoise, Newcastle West and Bailieborough in 2026 and early 2027. The provision of a new Garda station in Newcastle West as a district headquarters has been a key priority for me as a local representative, An Garda Síochána and the local community. Newcastle West is the key county town in Limerick and gardaí deserve this new state-of-the-art facility to work from as the previous one was completely unfit for purpose. So too do the public who will use this to interact with gardaí. I have been on site a number of times to see the progress of this project and most recently with the Minister for justice, Deputy O’Callaghan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, with whom I have shared responsibility for this project. I was glad to hear and to be able to report that this project will be delivered well ahead of schedule.

This €911 million will also support work on new stations in Macroom, Clonmel and Carndonagh and a new HQ for the Dublin north region. It will also support a new planned station in Castletroy in Limerick which has been mentioned by Senators Dee Ryan and Maria Byrne. I know it also has the support of the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donnell, and Deputy Willie O'Dea. They will also receive significant investment. The construction of these new state-of-the-art Garda stations is a strategic priority for An Garda Síochána and will have a hugely positive impact on the local communities they serve. The additional investment in Templemore will support the Government’s target of recruiting an additional 5,000 gardaí.

I also want to highlight the €69 million that has been allocated through the sectoral investment plan to expand, modernise, diversify and electrify the Garda fleet over the next five years. Following sustained investment in air assets, a second new helicopter will be delivered in 2026, significantly enhancing surveillance, search and public order capabilities. Funding is also provided to An Garda Síochána to further develop its drone technology as well as accommodation for the equine and canine units.

Of course, increasing recruitment, building Garda numbers and investing in the Garda estate is just the bedrock of the work that is ongoing. The Government has prioritised delivering policies and legislative change that will support and have tangible impact on Garda work in communities. Much of this work is aimed at future-proofing the organisation to deal with current and emerging technologies. The aim of these new legislative provisions is to equip gardaí with appropriate tools for the digital age we all live in. We have seen that the introduction of body-worn cameras has had a very positive impact. Highly successful proof-of-concept projects have been operating in Dublin city, Waterford and Limerick. Body-worn cameras are curbing public aggression and preventing crime, and the evidential value of the footage is helping to secure convictions in court. I want to see every front-line garda equipped with a body-worn camera. To that end, and as part of budget 2026, €19 million has been secured to progress this at scale. This additional funding is critical to protect front-line Gardai and prevent criminal activity.

We are also strengthening the use of other recording devices, including CCTV and cameras that may be mounted on vehicles, such as drones, to increase operational capabilities. I have often been told that the roll-out of mobility devices has been a game changer for gardaí. These devices make it quicker and easier for members to look up vital information as they go about their duties. They also allow them to issue fixed-charge notices at the roadside, and check the status of a driver’s licence, tax and insurance. These are the kinds of efficiencies that are making a difference and that we want to see more of. This Government will continue to invest in initiatives like this and enable An Garda Síochána to fulfil its mandate.

As a public representative, and especially since my appointment as Minister of State over a year ago, I have witnessed at first hand the strong ties that An Garda Síochána has to our communities and the strong personal regard that people have for our gardaí. We must always remember this relationship is at the core of our policing model. Part of that connection involves seeing gardaí on the streets, as this adds to both the reality and the feeling of safety that this represents for people. Today’s motion very rightly cites the value of high-visibility policing patrols which we have seen introduced to targeted areas, first in Dublin, and then in Cork and also Limerick.

The Limerick city Garda division has had 40 new Garda recruits and experienced gardaí allocated to Limerick this year so far. This surge in new gardaí for Limerick means we now have in excess of 650 gardaí in the Limerick division which is the highest ever. This has allowed for high-visibility policing in Limerick city and, in turn, has allowed local Garda management in Limerick to allocate and to push more experienced gardaí into the county and rural stations to provide an enhanced policing service in rural Limerick. In my experience, which is very different from what we heard here earlier, I have come across plenty of Garda checkpoints. I have also come across many gardaí on patrol. I have also witnessed many Garda days of action, which are multi-agency operations, while I travel the many national, regional and local roads across my own constituency in County Limerick.

It is vital that gardaí are visible to the public and that these patrols are providing a sense of security to residents, businesses and visitors. We already have data on the impact of high-visibility patrols in Dublin city centre. During the first six months of the roll-out in Dublin there were increased detections for public order offences, drunkenness, drugs for sale or supply and drugs for simple possession. Arrests and charges and summonses have also increased considerably.

This demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach, and I am sure we will see similar results in Cork and Limerick and in other key areas in due course.

Recent crime statistics show a continued reduction in most major crime types. This is the result of the hard work and commitment that the members of An Garda Síochána bring to their roles.

CSO data released recently shows decreases in most offences in 2025 compared with 2024. Homicide and related offences fell by 25%, while kidnapping and related offences fell by 21%, reflecting in particular the significant success of An Garda Síochána in combating organised crime groups.

Our gardaí have been at the forefront of efforts to combat this scourge on so many of our communities. The activities of front-line gardaí have resulted in the prosecution and conviction of numerous organised criminals. Over the past decade, gardaí have made over 1,000 arrests for organised crime offences. Burglary and related offences fell by 13%, reflecting the continued success of Operation Thor, which focuses on detecting and preventing burglary and associated criminal activity by undertaking targeted enforcement and preventative activity. Communicating regularly with people in communities about crime prevention measures has provided assurance and peace of mind to elderly members of our community in particular.

We must also recognise that the work of the gardaí is not celebrated in every corner of society. I am very conscious of the fact that in fulfilling their duties in serving the people of Ireland, members can be called on to respond to volatile and dangerous incidents. I want to call out the unacceptable levels of hatred and vitriol directed at gardaí, sometimes in person, but mostly from faceless accounts on social media platforms.

We are also aware of the very concerning incidents in which threats have been directed at the families and loved ones of gardaí. On this issue I want to be very clear: such incidents are reprehensible and unacceptable. The Commissioner has confirmed that criminal probes have been launched to examine recent social media posts that issued threats against gardaí and their families.

For the most part, the relationship between the gardaí and the public is one built on very significant trust. We only have to look at the fact that An Garda Síochána remains largely an unarmed yet hugely effective community policing service.

However, abuse or violence directed at gardaí will not be tolerated. Any person who assaults or threatens to assault a garda or front-line worker in the execution of their duties is guilty of an offence. Recent amendments to our law have increased the maximum sentence for assaulting or threatening to assault a garda or other on-duty emergency workers from seven years to 12 years. These changes send a very clear message that attacks on front-line workers will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly.

We are also supporting An Garda Síochána by bringing through legislation that provides it with the legal basis for the powers and technology required of a modern day police force. The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill will provide for biometric analysis that can be carried retrospectively on images gathered in the course of an investigation. This is in the context of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of an arrestable offence, in the search for missing persons or for the protection of the security of the State.

There will of course be protections and oversight in place, including a code of practice and oversight by a High Court judge who will report to the Taoiseach annually on the operation of the biometric analysis. This change will save valuable garda time and support their work and resources.

The Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill is also being progressed and will modernise and consolidate the statutory basis for certain Garda powers ensuring that they are placed on a clear and accessible legislative footing. The Bill will reform legislation on search warrants in light of judgments from the Supreme Court and introduce clear statutory procedures for dealing with privileged material.

As the law in this area is complex, this legislation will bring together much of the existing law on police powers to ensure it is clear, transparent and accessible. The Bill completed Second Stage in the Seanad on 4 February 2026. Officials are continuing to engage with Garda colleagues on technical aspects of the Bill and in advance of amendments being brought on Committee Stage.

The miscellaneous provisions Bill, which will also include a range of provisions intended to free up Garda time, is also being progressed. The legislation will enable the digitalisation of documents, including bench warrants and charge sheets that gardaí are currently required to produce in paper form and physically deliver to the courts.

Work is under way to progress a number of amendments on Committee Stage, a date for which is awaited. This legislation is important as the changes it contains will improve the administrative process allowing for more time on the street for gardaí and engagement with communities.

To conclude, I again commend every member of An Garda Síochána across Ireland, the new Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly, and his team, and in my constituency, Chief Superintendent Derek Smart and Superintendents Andrew Lacey, Ollie Kennedy and Michael Fleming for their dedication and commitment to keeping the people of Limerick and Ireland safe.

We are very proud, and rightly so, of the tradition of policing by consent in our country and the fact that An Garda Síochána remains a community police service. I hope that my commitment and that of the Government in supporting its work is clear. We will continue to work to ensure that we have the resources and supports needed to keep the people of Ireland safe and secure.

I thank all of the Senators for their inputs and in particular Senators O'Donovan and Gallagher as former members of An Garda Síochána and Senator McDowell as a former Minister for justice.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht an fhreagra iontaigh fhada a thug sé dúinn tar éis a bheith ag éisteacht leis na Seanadóirí ar fad le linn na díospóireachta. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, for the comprehensive response he gave to this evening's debate in which he highlighted a number of very important issues, the progress that is being made and, as was alluded to by numerous contributors during the course of the debate, what needs to be done to ensure that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to futureproof itself as an organisation to best serve and protect our communities.

The Minister of State spoke about the budget of €2.74 billion and about us being close to the highest number of gardaí in the history of this State. This is true but going to back to what the former Minister for justice, our colleague Senator McDowell, said, it was interesting to listen to his comparison between his time as Minister for justice and having a ratio of one guard to 330 people at the time versus the ratio of one guard to 378 people now. That was a theme that was repeated time and again by various contributors, and it is something that we have to be cognisant of, particularly with the growth in population and with regard to ensuring that, as was alluded to by Senators Scahill and Collins among others, we have sufficient resource in our rural areas, as well as areas of higher population growth.

The Minister of State spoke about the level of trainees in 2025 being up to 800, the highest since 2018. It is very important that we continue to resource the Garda College in Templemore. Being married to a woman from Templemore, it is a town that I am very familiar with.

In order for us to achieve the target levels that we all said that we aspire to, and going back to what Senator McDowell said, we need to back up the aspirations by ensuring that our targets are deliverable, and that sufficient investment goes into ensuring that it can happen.

The Minister of State spoke about the importance of the sectoral investment plan which, as he said, is crucial in expanding, modernising and electrifying the Garda fleet. He also spoke about the link between the increased usage of body-worn cameras and convictions in our courts, which is a sure sign that the investment that was made in that regard is bearing fruit today.

The Minister of State rightly spoke about the unacceptable levels of vitriol directed at gardaí in person and online, and this is something that was also referenced by a number of contributors to the debate. These are modern challenges, and we need to ensure that we respond to them accordingly.

Senator Flynn spoke very eloquently yesterday about abuse she has received online as a public representative. These are threats that did not exist in the past prior to the advent of social media. We need to be proactive in dealing with it to ensure that it is stamped out.

I am after disregarding the clock, which puts me under a bit of pressure. I will not have time to make reference to all the valuable contributions made in the debate. Suffice it to say that a number of themes came up on a number of occasions, including reference to the lives of gardaí lost in the line of duty. Senators Cathal Byrne and Duffy referred to the lives of serving Garda members lost at the hands of the provisional republican movement in their areas.

The issue of resources came up time and again. There was widespread acknowledgement that morale in An Garda Síochána is at a low ebb. Many contributors made reference to the new Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly, and the fact that morale has improved since his appointment. I will conclude on a point made by Senator Duffy. For us, as public representatives, and also for the public to maintain confidence in An Garda Síochána, it is very important that there are improved levels of transparency and accountability internally. As Senator Duffy alluded to, any wrongdoing within An Garda Síochána needs to be dealt with appropriately and that may well be through independent oversight internally.

A number of contributors spoke about the importance of continued engagement with the Garda representative bodies, which is vital. It was widely acknowledged that the role of An Garda Síochána is a very important one. If we are to achieve the target level of Garda strength of 15,000 - Senator O'Donovan mentioned a target of 20,000 - it is vital that those who are considering it as a profession feel that it is adequately remunerated and there are sufficient incentives in place for us to be able to achieve those levels.

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí ar fad as páirt a ghlacadh sa díospóireacht. Tá mé thar a bheith sásta leis an díospóireacht ar fad.

When is it proposed to sit again?

Tomorrow at 9.30 a.m.

Is that agreed? Agreed.