Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026 [Seanad]: Second Stage
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-16
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Carol Nolan (IND), Offaly

I want to begin by wishing my colleague Deputy Michael Healy-Rae well. I understand he was subjected to an unprovoked assault earlier today. I wish to condemn that in the strongest possible terms. As I said, I wish him well.
Tá áthas orm labhairt ar an mBille cumhachta a bhaineann leis An Garda Síochána. I begin by acknowledging the extraordinary work carried out every day by front-line members of An Garda Síochána. They are the men and women who respond to domestic violence calls at 3 a.m., deal with antisocial behaviour in our towns, deal with very dangerous situations every day of the week, see dangerous e-scooters and scramblers on footpaths and forest trails, and stand between communities and real harm. I have met many gardaí and sat with them in my constituency offices in Tullamore and Birr. I listened to their concerns. Recently, I met Chief Superintendent Lonergan and Inspector Collins following the horrific tragedy in Edenderry when Tadhg Farrell and Mary Holt lost their lives. Their lives were taken from them in what could be called murder. Their commitment and the commitment of An Garda Síochána to Offaly is unquestionable.
What is questionable, however, is whether senior management and the Government are giving them the resources, support and leadership they badly need. That is the context in which we debate the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026. The Bill deals with high level reforms, digital evidence, search warrants, stop-and-search powers and custody rights, all of which are, of course, important and matter. However, concerns have been raised by the ICCL around definitions, safeguards and the sequencing of judicial oversight. These concerns are worth paying attention to. We should also ensure that the powers are clear, proportionate and workable.
Let me be blunt. Communities across Offaly are not talking to me about sections 7 or 29. Rather, they speak to me every day about visibility, response times and whether An Garda Síochána will answer the phone when they ring about domestic violence, farm trespassing, which is becoming a massive issue in many rural communities - Offaly is no different- or antisocial behaviour in their estates. As I said, the Garda do tremendous work, and I commend it on its work in Offaly, but gardaí are stretched because they are trying to cover many rural areas. It is high time that we got proper resources.
I acknowledge that Garda numbers have slightly increased in Offaly, by about 2%, but that is since 2021, which is unacceptable especially with an increase in population. We are still dealing with stations which need guaranteed opening hours, rural areas that need patrols and towns that need boots on the ground. The Government can talk about €2.48 billion in Garda funding, but if communities do not see it and do not see gardaí on their streets, that funding is not delivering what people need. I ask the Minister to prioritise County Offaly in terms of additional gardaí and resources, to work with the Commissioner and ensure that we have proper resources in budget 2027.
We cannot ignore the wider issues in senior management. Almost 100 gardaí have been suspended with no timely resolution. Whistleblowers have raised concerns about internal units. Rank-and-file members have expressed deep alarm. Those issues, as well as resources, have to be worked on and resolved as soon as possible. While I welcome aspects of the Bill, I will continue to insist that the legislation alone will not restore public confidence. What will restore public confidence is gardaí being present, supported and properly led. We need the policing model of gardaí on the ground. There have to be community gardaí; they are too few and far between. As I said, they are doing their best, but they are stretched in County Offaly. I hope budget 2027 will prioritise the need for gardaí in Offaly to be resourced and additional numbers.

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Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-16