I would like to hear the Minister's response as otherwise we may not get one.

If I may clarify one point, did the Minister say the national security centre is under the Department of the Taoiseach and is separate from the Department of Justice?

I thank the Minister for the plan. It is really important that every organisation has a good strategic plan. It allows you to identify what is important, get consensus on that and allocate resources to that. I absolutely support-----

I had just started to speak.

I had only started to speak.

I take exception to being challenged about contributing on this debate. I have given a significant amount of time to policing in my community and to making my community safer. I am a founding member of a community policing forum.

Acting Chairperson-----

As I was saying, the strategic plan element is important. There are four issues in this section. One is the length of the strategic plan. Policing is a hugely human resource-intensive activity. To put a strategic plan in place will take significant additional resources. I know the Minister is aware of this as she has secured an additional budget to increase the resources in An Garda Síochána. I am querying the need for a strategic plan, when we have an annual service plan. Was consideration given to having a longer…

I did not hear the Minister's reply.

I thank the Minister for repeating her remark. I had not heard her. The exact point we were trying to make is based on my agreement with her comment that I do not believe anybody would want to go into a Garda station and ask to have a look at the service plan nor would anyone want to go in to ask to see the strategic plan and, therefore, the suggestion being made is valid. For the strategic plan to serve the wider community and society, it has to be known, understood, bought into and supported. The capacity of the …

I thank an tAire for her reply on that issue. I mention a scenario where resources are needed or if objectives or targets have not been satisfied. I support the idea of the annual service plan. From my time as chair of a JPC in Dublin city, there was a practice where once a year the chief superintendent would engage with all of the stakeholders of the committee and ask them for their submissions in advance of the end of the year to be included then in the service plan for the following year. My concern is that in t…

I did not get a specific answer to my question about giving a statutory role to the community safety partnerships in the preparation of the annual service plans.

Can I take it from the Minister's response that no consideration was given to giving a statutory role to the community safety partnerships to have a specified input to the service plan preparation and evaluation?

I just-----

Sorry, the seat came back. Apologies, I am okay. I am fine, and I thank the Cathaoirleach for his concern. On the annual report, the way it is specified here is all to be welcomed and supported. I will go back to what we spoke about on the strategic plan, the annual plans and now the annual report. These are all really important documents for us here in the Oireachtas, for the Minister and everyone involved in making them. The most important people are the people they are designed to serve. I would encourage that w…

That is a low blow.

I welcome the encouraging news earlier this week that the young girl and her carer who were viciously attacked in the north inner city on Parnell Square over a week ago are making a good recovery. I want to wish them well and wish their families well. I hope they make a full recovery soon and that the young girl is at home for Santa visiting this Christmas. I absolutely and utterly condemn the opportunistic politicking by Opposition TDs on this issue. Their exploitation of the north inner city for the sole purpose …

I, too, welcome my colleague from Dublin City Council, Councillor Dermot Lacey. It is the best part of 30 years that Councillor Lacey has given to local government, so we are humbled by his presence here today. I thank him for joining us for this very important discussion. I thank the Independent Senators for putting this matter on the agenda and I thank the Minister of State for attending. Senator Craughwell is right that his colleagues on this side of the House are very exercised. We continuously exercise our pow…

Well said.

I second the motion.