Absence of a defined budget for rehashed proposals is concerning
A new safety plan announced today by the Minister for Justice to tackle street crime in Dublin completely lacks substance and is full of rehashed proposals, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon.
Deputy Gannon, who is a TD for Dublin Central, said:
“While it is hard to argue with the merit of any of the 50 proposals, the reality is that many of these measures have already been announced in previous plans for the North East Inner City. To me, this reads like an analysis of existing problems rather than the Minister saying what she is actually going to do about them.
“Laughably, proposals to repair lighting, improve the appearance of streets and tackle littering are simply a description of Dublin City Council doing a job they already should be doing.
“There are some glaring omissions, including the lack of any engagement with sporting organisations such as local boxing clubs and football teams. This is a missed opportunity to utilise the skills of people who have experience of reaching hard to reach youth.
“The lack of a defined budget for all these measures is also concerning. It is worth noting that the extra €10 million for garda overtime announced during the summer will run out in December. The Minister needs to outline what new funding will be put in place for the permanent policing presence that Dublin city centre deserves.
“I have long called for a multi-agency response to address Dublin’s problems, something which is only now a feature of this latest safety plan. Instead of producing glossy brochures full of half-baked ideas, the Government needs to stop playing catch-up and invest in preventative, fully funded measures that will reverse the decline of our capital city.”
September 8, 2023