FIANNA FÁIL and Fine Gael have both pledged to get tough on crime, but the two parties have some differing ideas. 

Micheál Martin’s party launched its justice manifesto today, pledging to recruit an additional 5,000 gardaí over the next five years if re-elected. 

This promise puts it at odds with Fine Gael, who today pledged to recruit an additional 6,000 gardaí.

How will such a ramping up of gardaí be achieved when the government of the last four years has struggled to reach its current recruitment targets? 

Fianna Fáil has proposed to increase the garda training allowance from €354 to €500 per week, as well as introduce other recruitment reforms.

It also wants to reform the Garda recruitment and training processes to increase capacity and to widen the net to include a graduate entry programme.

Fine Gael pledges to double the training allowance and reassign 500 gardaí away from admin desk jobs to frontline policing. 

The party also wants to expand the Templemore Training College, and open a second Garda training college, while also using colleges and universities around the country for gardaí to carry out the academic side of the training. 

At odds on a public transport police

Rolling out a standalone public transport police is another area of difference between the two parties. 

Martin revealed in an interview with The Journal last week that he wasn’t prepared to let garda management stand in the way of rolling out such a unit, stating that it is what the public transport unions have been calling for. 

Asked why she wouldn’t back the idea, Fine Gael’s Justice Minister Helen McEntee said outlined that current operations have seen gardaí police public transport, stating that she supported an enhancement of a Garda presence on public transport, but not through a dedicated force.

She outlined that Fine Gael favours increasing transport hubs at places such as train stations. McEntee emphasised the importance of maintaining a flexible workforce that can respond to various incidents, both on public transport and in urban areas, arguing that this would not be the case if a standalone garda unit was established. 

Aside from those two differences, the parties have many similarities. Both parties pledge to:

• Provide all frontline Gardaí with body worn cameras
• Allow Gardaí to use facial recognition technology when investigating very serious offences, subject to appropriate oversight
• Introduce a Domestic Violence and Abuse Disclosure Scheme and register of domestic abusers to give people the ability to know if their partner had an abusive past

The issue of facial recognition was a source of controversy in the last government, with the Green Party raising concerns over its use.

A number of experts, including a Trinity professor raised concerns about racial bias, while the the Irish Council of Civil Liberties (ICCL) highlighted concerns over “mass surveillance”. 

The use of facial recognition technology was contentious in the last government but FG pushing for it again in manifesto. pic.twitter.com/DRHkxYlKEW

— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) November 15, 2024

Speaking at a press conference today, McEntee defended the party’s position, stating that it would go further and seek for live facial recognition to be used for specific threats such as for terrorist attacks, national security issues and for missing persons. 

Jim O'Callaghan, James Browne and Fiona O'Loughlin at today's launch. Jane Matthews Jane Matthews

Other measures in the Fianna Fáil manifesto include increasing prison sentences for those involved in the supply of drugs while Fine Gael wants to have specialised judges with special training used in cases relating to gender-based sexual violence.

Fianna Fáil said it will deliver 1,100 prison places, while interestingly, Fine Gael’s policy re-commits to Thornton Hall being used as a new prison, despite the Taoiseach stating this week that it is to be used as an accommodation facility for international protection applicants.

Drugs policy

At today’s Fianna Fáil press conference in Dublin, the party also defended its drugs policy. Earlier this week Fianna Fáil’s press office was forced to clarify that the party does not want to decriminalise personal possession all drugs, after its manifesto appeared to suggest this was the policy. 

Instead, the party only wants to decriminalise cannabis. Jim O’Callaghan and TD James Browne today insisted that the party’s position is still for a health-led approach to be used for drug users. 

A line in today’s justice today’s portfolio reads: “Those taking drugs “recreationally” will not be allowed operate as if they are above the law”. 

When asked how this aligns with a health-led approach, O’Callaghan said: “I don’t see any incompatibility between it, I think we need a compassionate approach for individuals who have addiction issues.

“We need a compassionate approach in respect to a health led thing, but when it comes to drug dealers who wreak havoc on our society. It’s absolutely essential that we’ve strong policing response to that so we can get rid of that scourge from our society.”