Simon Harris defends Fine Gael’s record on cracking down on crime in Dublin

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has defended his party’s record in the wake of Opposition claims that Fine Gael has failed to crackdown on crime in Dublin during its stewardship of the Department of Justice.

Recent violent incidents, including the assault of three UK tourists in Temple Bar on Friday night, have brought a renewed focus on the safety of the capital’s streets.

Labour Party justice spokesman Aodhán Ó Ríodáin said that the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee cannot be blamed for individual crime incidents.

However, he did say the “ideology” of the party that had held the justice brief for 12 years, Fine Gael, can be blamed.

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The Dublin Bay North TD said: “Gardaí are demoralised and communities are suffering.

“Fine Gael’s obsession is with tax cuts but not social inequality. This is their failure.”

Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Fingal Louise O’Reilly said Dubliners, tourists and gardaí “all deserve to be safe in our capital city” and she argued they “are being failed by Fine Gael”.

She said her party has called for an increased intake capacity for the Garda Training College at Templemore and an “ambitious” recruitment campaign.

“A sticking-plaster approach to policing our capital city will not cut it – we need real reform to keep communities safe,” Ms O’Reilly added.

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Mr Harris served as minister for justice during the maternity leave of Ms McEntee, earlier this year.

He was speaking to reporters ahead of the annual commemoration for Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin.

He hit back at Sinn Féin saying: “I’d shudder to think what a Sinn Féin minister for justice would be like, and I’m not yet ready to take a in relation to law and order from the Sinn Féin party quite frankly.”

He said in relation to the Labour Party, Sinn Féin and the Opposition in general “government is all ears when it comes to ideas.

“We always need to do everything that we can to support our communities, to support our capital city.

“But I don’t think we should be judging politicians based on words.

“We should be judging them based on the actions they’re taking.”

He said Ms McEntee has “taken a number of very important steps to support the gardaí in tackling criminal justice, law and order, public safety issues not just in Dublin but across the country.”

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He said: “The most important thing that government can do is help increase Garda numbers.

“That’s why we have Templemore very much back open ... and getting busy.”

He said that in the interim period the Government has provided an extra €10 million for Garda overtime in Dublin.

Mr Harris also said: “There are a whole load of other issues that need to be addressed when it comes to our cities. The role that our city council has to play, role that supporting and investing in our communities can play as well.”

A Department of Justice statement said: “Minister McEntee has said that violence on our streets will not be tolerated and has to be dealt with in the strongest possible manner.

“Those who perpetrate this street violence and thuggery will be brought to justice.

“The Minister has assured An Garda Síochána that the Government will provide whatever resources are needed.”

The statement said that since the announcement of the €10 million for overtime more than 500 arrests had been made in a seven-day period and over 680 searches were carried out.

It also said Ms McEntee is prioritising the early commencement of new legislation to increase a range of maximum sentences, including for assault causing harm, assaulting a Garda and for conspiracy to murder as well as the early enactment of legislation to provide for body-worn cameras for gardaí.

The department said more than 100 gardaí have graduated from Templemore so far this year and over 460 are in active training.