Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade, Employment and Workers’ Rights, Louise O’Reilly. has sharply criticised proposals by Fianna Fáil today, which they claimed would make Dublin a safer place.

She said the proposals would do no such thing as there was no plan by Fianna Fáil to attract extra Gardaí, which is fundamental to safety in the capital.

She added that Dublin’s unsafe streets are a legacy of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government.

Louise O’Reilly said:

“Everyone should be entitled to be safe in our nation’s capital, be they Dubliners, workers or tourists.

“However there are long standing and very serious issues with crime in the city that have not been tackled in any serious way by Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael in government.

“Dublin’s unsafe streets are a legacy of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government.

“During their time in office, this government has failed to invest in, adequately fund or show leadership to An Garda Síochána.

“As a result, there aren’t enough Gardaí on our streets; they don’t have the resources they need, and they feel overstretched and under-supported. It’s a shambles.

“Fianna Fáil has no plans on how they would attract extra personnel to An Garda Síochána which is absolutely fundamental to the issue of safety in the capital.

“500 people left the Gardai last year alone through resignations and retirements. How does Fianna Fáil plan to make Dublin a safer city against this backdrop?

”The reality is that many people simply do not feel safe in Dublin City and empty rhetoric and empty promises from Fianna Fáil won’t change that situation.

“Sinn Féin have consistently sought to draw attention to this situation and have outlined proposals to keep communities safe by putting Gardaí back on our streets with the resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.

“We have called on the government to increase intake capacity for Garda training in Templemore with the introduction of a new hybrid training model that would increase the numbers who can complete training and attest as sworn members, ending the scandal of under-recruitment.

“We asked the government to engage with Gardaí and their representatives to identify and remedy the cause of increased resignations.

“What is urgently required is a meaningful and ambitious Garda recruitment campaign.

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