Mr. John O'Driscoll:

The issue of which station will be reopened is separate from the issue of where one would like to put one's resources within the city within existing stations that are open today.

Assistant commissioner Leahy has mentioned Cabra, for example. That is an area in which there already is a station, so that is a decision that can be made on a day to day basis. In terms of the criteria, in my report I set out other criteria which I recommend and believe would be taken on board for the bigger project. This is only a pilot project involving the opening of six stations. The project given to the Policing Authority in which it is using the facility of the Garda Inspectorate is to undertake a complete examination of boundaries throughout the country and to consider the whole issue of whether there should be new stations where stations have not already been opened. The closure of some stations that have been opened on a pilot basis and other such issues can be dealt with at that juncture. I state clearly that I have grave reservations about using crime statistics, for example, as a criterion.