THE FIANNA FÁIL Parliamentary Party has passed a motion advocating for a 24 hour, 7 day a week criminal Dublin District Court.

The motion was passed today in response to the findings of a survey regarding respondents’ experience of anti-social behaviour in Dublin. 

The online-conducted survey, which took in the views of approximately 1,500 people, found that almost 90% supported Fianna Fáil’s call for the 24/7 criminal District Court in Dublin, to “ensure offenders could be brought immediately before the District court”.

Fianna Fáil’s Justice spokesperson, TD Jim O’Callaghan, called for the establishment of the 24/7 court, and said the deployment of dedicated gardaí to public transport are “critical” steps steps in “restoring safety and order” in Dublin. 

“It is imperative that we adopt a comprehensive and targeted approach to address these issues,” he said. 

The survey found that over 70% of respondents had witnessed drug dealing and drug use in public, and over 65% said they had witnessed anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

Over 90% felt that this anti-social behaviour has increased in the past 10 years.

Almost 79% reported that they do not know their community garda.

The motion also advocated for dedicated gardaí deployed on a small area policing basis, community service and restorative justice for those convicted, as well as minimum 60 minutes foot or pedal bike patrols by gardaí on every shift. 

The parliamentary party, which is made up of Fianna Fáil’s TDs, senators and MEPs, also called for the review of location and hours of operation of garda stations in Dublin, with a view to planning for additional garda stations to serve growing areas of population. 

It called for a targeted approach from a number of organisations in order to achieve zero tolerance of drug dealing, anti-social and criminal behaviour in public spaces and residential complexes.

Senator in Dublin Central, Mary Fitzpatrick, said that the steps called for are “essential to ensuring that our law enforcement resources are effectively allocated and accessible to all residents”.

Speaking to The Journal, a legal source said that there is no specific demand or need for a court to sit routinely for 24 hours, 7 days a week, as the Dublin District court sit every evening. 

In an emergency situation, a judge can be called in at night, but people under the influence of drugs or alcohol cannot be seen before the court, he added. 

In most instances, people arrested at night are kept in garda custody and brought before the court the following morning, eliminating the need for a 24/7 court, he said.