Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The public relations battle by the Garda - I have great respect for the force and some people very close to me are members of it - as far as rural Ireland is concerned is being lost. Whether that can be attributed to the Garda, at Commissioner level, or to the Minister, at political level, maybe the Minister should take greater cognisance of what is happening. That is the feeling I am getting and I do not think it will go away.

I am being parochial again but would it not be feasible in the Mizen Peninsula, for example, to have a garda living and stationed there who could cover two or three stations? He could spend the morning in one station and the afternoon in another, or whatever. Could that be looked at because most of the rural Garda stations, which I visited in my capacity as a solicitor in a former life, are in good nick? In most cases, the accommodation quarters are excellent. I am concerned about the cost-benefit analysis and whether the Minister, at political level, should do this. If so, he should outline it to the people affected. I do not think it adds up from a financial perspective.