Mr. Diarmuid Cronin:

A greater amount of paperwork must currently be dealt with by a member of the Garda Síochána. That is what I am hearing. Paperwork and ticking boxes mean less time spent dealing with people face to face. It is important that, in each community, the garda becomes a familiar face. That is what Deputy Finian McGrath was speaking about in terms of the Metropolitan Police. In that force, the officer on the beat knows his or her patch and the people, and they know the officer. When one is on a first-name basis with one's local member of the force, it means one is much more likely to come forward and assist. One is much more likely to come forward on time rather than at a later stage. Time and again, I hear at meetings about the frustration members have experienced because of information being received days after the event. The text alert has come some way towards speeding up the flow of information. Sectoral policing, whereby the local member of the force has time to move around his own community, is desirable. Better transport and local stations aid all that.