Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have one additional question for the Commissioner. I represent County Clare which has quite a number of tourism destinations. In the past three or four years, the number of tourists visiting the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience has increased from 650,000 to 1.1 million. Similarly, the number of tourists to County Clare, particularly to the north and west of the county, has increased considerably. My question is similar Deputy Kieran O'Donnell's with respect to additional Garda numbers. Ennistymon and Kilrush were joined as a single district but the number based in Ennistymon Garda station has been considerably reduced in recent years. When the new Garda recruits come onstream, are there plans to increase the number in the Clare Garda division and specifically in the Kilrush-Ennistymon west Clare Garda division? Is there a policy within An Garda Síochána to redeploy gardaí from other districts in summer periods to areas such as west Clare when there is an increase in the number of tourists? If there is not such a policy, would the Commissioner examine having a more mobile unit within the force that could deal with the peaks in visitor numbers, which have dramatically increased?