Crime - Thurles Information

Justice Budget 2024 Expected To Build & Secure Stronger, Safer Communities.

Record budget of €3.5bn for Justice sector.
€2.3bn budget for An Garda Síochána is €172m increase on 2023.

Budget 2024 Highlights:

Garda:

Funding for Garda Vote up 23% (€430m) since 2020 to €2.3 billion.
Recruitment of between 800 and 1,000 new Gardaí and 250 additional Garda staff in 2024.
66% increase in training allowance (to €305 per week).
€6m provided for wellbeing initiatives, medical costs and over 2,500 units of body armour.

The total gross allocation for the Garda Vote in 2024 is €2.31 billion, an increase of over €172m. This takes into account the pay increases payable under Building Momentum.
The extra €172million also includes provision for:

Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence and Community Safety:

€12m increase in funding for Zero Tolerance strategy, including a new DSGBV agency, and support for the delivery of refuge accommodation.
An increase of €3.5m to a total of €7.9m for community safety initiatives including establishment of partnerships nationwide and a National Coordination Office.
A further €2.9m (+10%) in funding for Youth Justice Strategy bringing the total budget to over €33m.
€3.6m in additional funding for GoSafe speed cameras with a further €0.5m investment in CCTV schemes.

Prisons/Probation:

Irish Prisons Service budget increased by over €27m to €439m.
An extra €9m in staffing to provide for 65,000 additional hours to deal with the current pressures and the recruitment of more prison officers.
€2.5m additional allocation for the Probation Service will fund expansion of JARC (joint agency response to crime), community service and restorative justice, providing effective alternatives to prison.

Other:

€9m to make progress in restoring criminal legal aid fees with a 10% increase in early 2024. Following the Budget, more work will be undertaken with the legal professions on further strengthening criminal legal aid.
€1.4 million to provide courts staffing to support the additional judges nominated by the Government.
€21m to further accelerate International Protection processing, with 125 additional staff to be recruited by end 2024. €6m to continue the response to the war in Ukraine.
€5.5m to the Legal Aid Board to recruit new staff, increase investment in ICT and provide for additional costs directly related to the increase in immigration applications.
€2.2m to support victims of crime including the “Know your Rights” campaign and implementation of the new Human Trafficking Action Plan.
€4m for first year of new Gambling Regulatory Authority.

Courts Vote:

The total gross allocation for the Courts Vote in 2024 is €183 million, including capital funding of €67m.

The Courts Service will receive €1.4m for up to 35 additional staffing to directly support the work of new members of the Judiciary.
€1.4m more to provide for the progression of e-Probate and other elements of the Courts Modernisation Programme; to simplify the processes in court proceedings and make the services more accessible to all.
€2m in extra support to meet the additional operational costs across the Courts Service.

Data Protection Commission:

The total gross allocation for the Data Protection Commission Vote in 2024 is €27.9million.

The allocation for the Commission will continue to increase in 2024 and builds upon an increase of 60% since 2020 (€11m). This reflects the important role played by the Data Protection Commission in safeguarding privacy rights. The total allocation of almost €28m will provide for restructuring to a new three Commissioner operating model and the move to new headquarter premises in Dublin.

Policing Authority:

The allocation of €4.4m will provide additional resources for the establishment of a new body the Policing and Community Safety Authority in 2024 which will replace the Authority and Garda Síochána Inspectorate.

The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee today welcomed the significant increase in Budget allocation of over €3.27 billion in current expenditure plus €274m for capital projects for the Justice sector in 2024, with a particular focus on building stronger, safer communities.

This unprecedented budget will strengthen the work of An Garda Síochána and the criminal justice sector to prevent and detect crime and protect communities; allow for the establishment of the new statutory agency to support victims and work to eliminate domestic, sexual and gender-based violence; and fund the nationwide rollout of Community Safety Partnerships.

Budget 2024 continues to build investment in diverting young people away from involvement in crime, to make youth diversion projects available in every community in Ireland for the first time, with an increased focus on weekend activities and marginalised young people.

It will also invest in our prisons, including new staff in a number of areas such as a Rapid Prison Building Unit to drive the Government’s intention to provide over 400 new prison spaces over the next 5 years.

It also supports the development of effective alternatives to prison through a number of multi-agency projects which will also assist in dealing with the acute pressures in the prison system.

Funding continues to grow in respect of the Department of Justice work in responding to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and in processing increased applications for international protection. Making more decisions and adjudicating on appeals quicker, while maintaining fair procedures, delivers for customers and relieves pressure elsewhere, supporting a balanced system.

Budget 2024 supports the rollout of critical modernisation and digitisation needs across the Justice sector and facilitates further growth of the Data Protection Commission to safeguard people’s privacy.

Robbery Takes Place At Bookmakers In Fethard, Co. Tipperary.

Tipperary Gardaí from Fethard and Clonmel are currently seeking your help with regards to a robbery which took place at Ladbrokes Bookmakers, The Square, Fethard, Co. Tipperary, on Thursday night, September 28th 2023, at approximately 8:15pm.
Two men are understood to have entered the premises with their faces covered.
The men gained entry to the staff area of the premises and forced staff to open a safe, before exiting the premises with a quantity of cash and fleeing on foot in the direction of Burke Street, in the town.
Suspect No.1 was of heavy build and wore a grey hoody and blue jeans; while suspect No. 2 was of slim/medium build; was taller than his companion and wore a green hoody and black shorts.

Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have observed these males in or around the Burke Street and or Fethard Square area in or around 7:30 to 8:00pm, or who may have witnessed any suspicious behaviour, which may be linked to this incident.
Similarly, any drivers with dash-cam footage who were in this area at the time are asked to contact Gardaí immediately.
Gardaí are particularly interested in speaking with a male who was walking a large dog, in the Burke Street / Main Street area of Fethard, at that time and may have encountered both these individuals.

Any person with any information is asked to contact Clonmel Garda Station in strictest confidence Tel: 052-6177640 or email CT.TipperarySouth.CE@garda.ie or contact the Garda Confidential Line Free-phone 1800 666 111.

Citizens’ Assembly Expected To Liberalise Current Laws On Illegal drugs.

There was a total of 45 drug driving offences detected in Co. Tipperary so far this year, despite fewer Garda checkpoints; the latter checkpoint reductions due to severe weather conditions; incidents such as traffic collisions; thefts and domestic disturbances.
Garda checkpoints are down some 27% from the 2,580 conducted over the same period last year.

Even more worrying we learn is the fact that the Irish Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use is expected to agree on recommendations to liberalise laws around possession of sales of common illegal drugs.
This is despite opposition to this same liberalisation from the Gardaí; the Chief Medical Officer and some medics; latter who claim that the liberalising of current drug laws will lead to more widespread drug use and will not help combat the stigma surrounding this issue.

The Irish Citizens’ Assembly (Irish: An Tionól Saoránach) is a convocation established in Ireland, back in 2016, to consider several political questions including the ‘Constitution of Ireland’; ‘abortion’; ‘fixed term parliaments’; ‘referendums’; ‘population ageing’ and ‘climate change’ with reports expected to be produced on the aforementioned topics.

Should the ‘Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use’ recommendations now be implemented, it is widely believed that the current existing major drugs problem will create an even more widespread drugs issue. Same would see individuals, families and communities being ravaged by addiction, previously never before experienced in this island, not to mention the serious crimes anticipated; same committed by those addicted; in order to fund their existing drug habit.

Same liberalisation it is believed will result in increased overall health problems, with lives destroyed, parent unable to take care of their children, and an overall decline in the way we live our daily lives, with the overburdened tax payer, once again, picking up the tab for required addiction drug treatment, medications, e.g. Methadone, Naltrexone (Vivitrol) etc, plus the necessary comfort, over-the-counter medications, suggested by GP’s, all readily available without a prescription and also commonly abused.

The Irish Citizens’ Assembly will not and must not be allowed to take the place of the majority of the law abiding, Irish voting public.

Use Of Cannabis In Ireland Is Of Huge Concern.

The chief medical officer Professor Breda Smyth has warned that the use of cannabis in Ireland is of huge concern.

Professor Smyth speaking at the fifth meeting of the ‘Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use’, stated that one in five adult cannabis users will become dependent on the drug, and one in three young persons are likely to become addicted, if they continue to use the drug as little as just once a week.

Professor Smyth stated, that the strength of cannabis potency, has increased by 57% in the 10 years from 2011-2021, with people using the drug often on a daily basis.
Some 45,000 people with cannabis-use disorders, is show in the latest data available, with those under 18 years of age accounting for 80% of new presentations to cannabis addiction treatment services, making it now a significant public health problem here in Ireland.

Professor Smyth confirmed that there were 409 drug-induced deaths in 2020, with drug-related hospitalisations accounting for approximately 53,000 inpatient bed days, each year, and a steady increase in admissions to psychiatric services, all associated with drug-related causes.

She continued by stating that the profile of drug users in Ireland has changed significantly over the last 30 years and while it can affect everyone, from all social classes across Ireland; it in particular, affects most severely, those in deprived areas of our society.

Prison Staff Under Investigation For Alleged Fuel Card Misappropriation.

A number of employees, possibly 5 in total, within the Irish Prison Service are currently under investigation following allegations that they misused fuel cards registered to State vehicles for their own personal motor vehicles.

It is alleged that approximately some €3,000 worth of fuel was purchased and paid for, using fuel cards property of the Irish Prison Service Escort Corp (PSEC) and correctly used to buy fuel for vehicles independently providing prisoner escorting services.

The Prison Service Escorts Corps (PSEC) was established in 2005, on an independent basis within the Irish Prison Service, to provide a prisoner escorting service. PSEC is sub divided into three regional areas, namely Munster, Connaught and Leinster, headquartered in Cloverhill Prison in Co. Dublin. [Ulster is incorporated into area of Connaught and Leinster.]

PSEC is a dedicated corps of staff, whose task is to escort prisoners to and from court and to other scheduled and necessary engagements in the community. ie. Hospital Appointments. The profile of the unit includes 58 cellular vehicles of varying capacity which enables the corps to securely transport prisoners of all security categories, throughout the State.
The staff also man the dock in courts throughout the country and specialise in providing a highly efficient service as a support to prison operations.

The Department of Justice confirm that they have been made aware of the claims and have organised investigations into the allegations.