Press release
Minister Humphreys welcomes latest Policing Authority report on policing during COVID-19 crisis
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice, Heather Humphreys TD, has today welcomed the fourteenth Report from the Policing Authority on the performance by An Garda Síochána of its policing role in the support of the COVID-19 public health restrictions. This report examines a period of significant easing of the public health restrictions.
Welcoming the report, Minister Humphreys said:
"I am grateful to the Policing Authority for their latest report on the performance of An Garda Síochána in policing the public health regulations. We are now at a critical point in our national response to the COVID-19 pandemic as we relax some of the public health guidelines. The women and men of An Garda Síochána will continue to play a crucial role in supporting the government’s public health guidelines. The Policing Authority, in reporting on policing performance, continue to offer reassurance to the public and guidance to An Garda Síochána during this exceptional period. The months ahead will bring added challenges for us all as we move into the next phase of our national action to deal with COVID-19 and I urge all citizens to continue to abide by those public health guidelines which remain in place."
Over the course of the pandemic, the Policing Authority have maintained contact with a broad cross-section of civil society organisations to gauge the reception and attitude to An Garda Síochána and the public health guidelines. In preparing the current report, the Policing Authority have engaged with domestic abuse support groups and LGBTI+ organisations as well as with solicitors attending to clients in Garda Stations.
The Minister added:
"I welcome in particular the findings of the Authority from their outreach to groups working with the victims of domestic abuse. It is of great concern to all of us that the incidences of recorded domestic abuse have been rising during the pandemic. Operation Faoiseamh has had a real impact with victims and represents a new multi-agency approach to engagement with a most vulnerable group of people. I would encourage anyone requiring urgent assistance or support, to please call 999 or 112, we are ‘STILL HERE’ to listen to help and to protect."