LAST UPDATE | 21 Jul 2023
JUSTICE MINISTER HELEN McEntee has said she believes Dublin City is safe, but acknowledges that the capital has problems that need to be addressed.
“I have to stress that whether you’re living here, working here or whether you’re a tourist here. I do think our city is safe but we do like any other city have problems that we need to try and address,” McEntee said.
“I absolutely acknowledge that things are not perfect,” she added.
The minister made the comments to reporters in Store Street Garda Station, where she met with Assistant Commissioner for the Dublin Metropolitan Area Angie Willis and Chief Superintendent Paddy McMenamin following an attack on an American tourist in the area this week.
The minister described the attack as “vicious and unprovoked”.
McEntee said definite lines of inquiry were being pursued by gardaí, stating that a “a tough and firm response” would follow.
The assistant commissioner updated the media on the investigation, stating that the attack was carried out by a number of perpetrators.
She confirmed that the man suffered serious injuries and said gardai arrived on the scene “within seconds”.
Minister Helen McEntee says the attack on an American tourist was a ‘vicious and unprovoked attack’. pic.twitter.com/2s7DymER3D
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) July 21, 2023
She said “significant progress” in the investigation had been made, adding:
“I’m very confident that we will bring the perpetrators of this horrendous crime before the justice system. We obviously totally condemn the actions of a small group of individuals and we will continue to progress with the investigation.”
Willis said gardaí are confident enough evidence can be gathered to carry out arrests.
Appealing to anyone with information to get in touch with Store Street Garda Station, Willis said the force has received a lot of support from the local community following the attack.
“We always we have a very good working relationship with our community here. And we we very much appreciate that support,” she said.
The assistant commissioner said that gardaí have conducted over 10,500 foot patrols since January of this year in the city centre area as part of Operation Citizen.
Some 20,000 prosecutions have been initiated. Some €8.6 million worth of drugs were also seized.
When asked if gardaí had sufficient resources, she said “we’re never going to say wouldn’t like more resources, but we have ample resources in this area”.
In terms of the number of public order offences and assaults, she said the figures are on a par this year in comparison to last year.
Willis said Talbot Street – the street near where the tourist was attacked – and the city centre are “absolutely” safe areas to walk around.
“It is a safe city. It’s a vibrant city. I can give that reassurance that we are out there and we have a visible presence,” she said.
When asked if McEntee felt safe walking around Dublin, she said she did.
The minister said she spends time in the city for work and in a personal capacity, and would walk through the capital.
Not everywhere is going to be safe all the time, she said.
“I acknowledge that there can be challenges and difficulties. But it’s about making sure that where possible, you prevent incidents from happening but you can’t always prevent everything,” said McEntee.
The minister confirmed that the government will not reach the target it set to recruit 1,000 gardaí in 2023.
“Unfortunately, no, we won’t reach those numbers,” she said.
“It has taken longer than I would like for that wheel to start moving and to see that steady inflow of newer members in Templemore,” she said.
In the last recruitment round, there were just under 5,000 applications to join the gardaí, with the minister anticipating greater numbers in the next recruitment round.
Previously, Minister Simon Harris, who held the justice portfolio while McEntee was on maternity leave, said that he was uncomfortable with age restrictions on those that wish to join the force.
Currently no one above the age of 35 can join the gardaí.
When asked by The Journal about possible changes to the age restrictions, the minister said the current age limit of 35 could “potentially change” in the next recruitment round.
When dealing with the issue of recruitment and retention, “no issue is off the table”, said McEntee.
“We need to make sure that we look at every possible measure that will encourage people to join.” she said.
Local politicians have warned that parts of the capital are unsafe in the wake of the attack on the tourist that left him with serious injuries that required hospital treatment.
And it comes weeks after a young Ukrainian actor needed stitches after being attacked near the Abbey Theatre, where he was performing in a Kyiv production of Brian Friel’s Translations.
“People must have confidence they can safely walk the streets of our capital. I am in regular contact with Commissioner Harris on the issue of Garda visibility,” said McEntee.
The Justice Minister said she would be in Templemore next week for the passing out of new gardai.
“I will be in the Garda College every three months thereafter to see new recruits graduate as recruitment picks up pace after a Covid-enforced pause,” she said.
Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan has called for more gardaí to be on the streets to deal with what he’s described as “elements of lawlessness” in parts of Dublin’s inner city.
Public representatives have warned that a lack of a police presence has resulted in open drug taking and dealing on some side streets of Dublin, as well as an increased threat of random assaults.
The Fianna Fail TD said that Ireland’s drugs policy was failing and needed to put people with “devastating levels of addiction” at the centre of the next strategy.
The citizens’ assembly on drugs use has met three times this year so far, with a further three meetings due to be held in the autumn.
O’Callaghan also warned that changes needed to be made to the eligibility criteria as Ireland struggled to recruit new gardaí.
“We have a problem with recruitment,” he said.
“In fairness to government, it has provided funding for 1,000 new gardai this year. Last year we provided funding for 800; we were only able to recruit 300. This year, I’m afraid to say we won’t be able to recruit 1,000 new gardai.
“We need to start looking at innovative new methods to keep numbers up or to grow numbers within the force. We should be looking at increasing the retirement age, we should be looking at getting rid of the discriminatory rule that says you can’t join the gardai if you’re over 35,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
He said there were less than 14,000 gardai in Ireland, which was the same level of gardai as there had been 20 years ago, but that the population had increased and new laws had been enacted since then.
He added: “I think we need to be clear: we’re always going to have some level of criminality in the inner city of all capital cities and major cities.
“The problem here is that there is a perception, and it is a reality, that there is a lawlessness in certain parts of the inner city.
“The only way that is going to be reduced is to have a serious Garda presence there.”
“We need to attract more people into the force, we’ve not even 14,000 (gardai) and a population of five-and-a-quarter million. It’s not enough.”
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