Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

However, it has not saved any money. The per annum figure is very small in proportion to the overall budget. It seems strange that anybody should describe what we have now as a policing model that is working. Certainly, the incidence of burglaries indicates it has failed in certain areas. I will concede part of the point here to Mr. Waters but not the main part of it. The Central Statistics Office figures that were announced by the Minister last week show that in certain areas where Garda stations were closed, crime, including burglaries, has gone down. That is being claimed as a justification for this particular move. In other areas, however, crime levels have rocketed.

It seems there is no one-size-fits-all solution here. The mistake that was made was to look at the projected overall cost saving and view the issue as an overall problem to be solved. The reality, however, is that whereas certain areas need more resources in a context where we are seeing rampant burglaries - I am thinking of people coming off the M50 and other motorways - in other areas, the closures were justified and crime rates have gone down. That is true generally of the west. However, in the areas where it has gone up, it has rocketed. Mr. Waters knows the areas to which I am referring, such as Stepaside in particular, in which I am especially interested. We should not be frightened of reviewing this decision. It requires accepting that what was done was partially right and partially wrong and was neutral in terms of moneys saved. Does Mr. Waters agree that is a reasonable conclusion to reach?