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MINISTER FOR JUSTICE Charlie Flanagan has said that additional funding provided to An Garda Síochána will “undoubtedly also benefit the policing of transport services”, when asked if a dedicated Transport Police would be established.
The government has been considering setting up a transport police similar to the equivalent force in Britain, no indication has yet been given that it will be established despite calls from the opposition.
The set up of a dedicated transport police was part of Fianna Fáil’s manifesto for the local elections, while Labour Senator Kevin Humphreys said earlier this month that there should be a “permanent security presence on our trains and stations with real powers of enforcement”.
Unions have also called for the introduction of a dedicated force, amid reports of anti-social behaviour across public transport services.
In the parliamentary question put to Flanagan, Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’Callaghan asked what the position was with regard to the roll out of a dedicated transport police.
Flanagan replied that the gardaí engages extensively with transport operators and that a range of regional and local operations have been put in place to address incidents and issues that have arisen at specific locations.
“There is ongoing communication between An Garda Síochána and the respective control centres, and access to good quality CCTV can assist the Gardaí when investigating serious incidents,” he said.
The Justice Minister said he welcomed plans from Irish Rail to instal more CCTV and increase security patrols on Dart carriages, and added he’d favour a text alert system being brought in to allow customers to discreetly report any incidents as they develop on rail services.
Such a text system already exists on the Luas.
Flanagan also outlined laws in plays to punish offenders on public transport and said that an extra €100 million had been given to An Garda Síochána in the budget, with more officers to be sent to frontline policing this year.
He said: “The provision of these additional resources to the Commissioner is a key component in this Government’s approach to improving public safety throughout the country which will undoubtedly also benefit policing of transport services in Dublin and in other areas.”
At no point in his answer did he indicate if there’d be a dedicated transport police in future.
In a separate answer given by Minister for Transport Shane Ross this week, he said that he is “concerned” to ensure that the necessary arrangements are in place to ensure the safety of all passengers.
He said that he had responded to calls for a dedicated transport police and understood Flanagan was discussing the matter with An Garda Síochána.
“Following representations from the National Bus and Rail Union seeking the establishment of a dedicated police force for public transport, my Department wrote to Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus to seek their views on the issue of anti-social behaviour and ensuring the safety of both passengers and staff,” Ross said. “All companies stressed the strong and close working relationships with An Garda Síochána.”
Meanwhile 8000 army personnel in barracks with little to do all day…
@Aire Dezamba:
Its a nice thought ? You don’t expect the Army to to police hooligans on public transport Draft all the hooligans into the Army
@Alan Scott: no I am expecting them to get rid of the gangs and drug dealers.
@Aire Dezamba: it’s funny that so many areas there is no money for. Yet every budget , there is over an extra half billion for an already insane welfare spend …
An Garda Siochana have enough to tackle without being involved in the issues involving public transport. Ticket checks by inspectors on Dublin Bus are as rare as they’ve ever been. Anti social behaviour, drug use and dealing and fare evasion are rife on our public transport system and no Minister give a flying fcuk because they don’t use it, unless it’s first class service on Irish Rail. Meanwhile the general public run the gauntlet going about their business and hope they get home from their days work with their belonging in tack and their clothes odour free of smoke. It’s time for a dedicated transport police policy.
@Paul Linehan: I was on the luas going to Broadstone there was a ticket check on the way there and another one on the way back I returned on the red line with no sign of a check on either side.
@Alan Scott: To be fair to the Luas. I’ve seen plenty of ticket checks on both lines and security interventions for anti social issues.
FFS I’ve been saying it for years as it’s been everywhere else in the world for years. Fukin no brainer ideas take generations to be seen as sensible in this country.
@Pip: I’m not aware of any country apart from Britain with a transport police. NYC merged theirs with the NYPD some time ago
So the only alternative is when public service vehicle’s been stoned is to make all of the Communities suffer by pulling the service? You put that against Ministerial cars been stoned you will get a swift reaction from the Garda .Two sets of rules for the same job.
Cosy relationship with the government in the top brass of the Gardaí, any attempt to usurp the elite and offer another force to compare the performance of the Gardaí will obviously be met with reluctance. Charlie Flanagan acting as a mouthpiece for those in charge of the Gardaí. Why does the article not have a quote from the Garda commissioner on this proposal?
@BreadBasketCase: harbor police were disbanded against Garda wishes. Airport police are glorified security and an Garda siochana has repeatedly called for the airport police to become a fully fledged police force.
So really, your talking shite
Flanagan belongs in a retirement home!
Many thanks to all engaging in antisocial behavior on green luas and other posh “specific areas”. Without you this would never have been possible.
CCTV is great but it’s after the fact.
The value of Police presence is worth so much more.
Meanwhile they send 400 Garda to Donbeg,Co.Clare to “protect” Trump!
@F Fitzgerald Ne Reeves: when?
Full of sh*t
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