Mr. Niall Garvey:

Deputy Wallace mentioned resources which are finite. The Minister has indicated that he hopes to bring the force to 20,000 in the next two years, which is a huge increase in resources. The resources are coming. It is a question of ensuring that they are correctly allocated. The same principle applies to Garda stations. When resources were tight, they were closed. We have an open mind on whether a dilapidated Garda station should be reopened or another facility provided in another community building, if that is available. However, the Deputy is correct that there must be a physical place where one can visit one's liaison garda.

The idea at the time was that the gardaí were better off out on patrol rather than filling out paper, and while true to an extent, it is also flippant. People need a safe place to communicate with a garda, to pass information, get information and, as my colleague observed, to be able to have a conversation about what is happening in the community. That is missing at the moment. One cannot have that conversation through the window of a garda car as it is passing down the street. There need to be more physical locations and we have an open mind as to whether they are Garda stations or other community facilities.

The representatives of Foróige will probably expand on this much more, but I believe that the Deputy is correct about schools. Good community gardaí are visiting schools. They are organising events for the elderly but they are also visiting schools at the other end of the spectrum. Our information, however, is that they are few and far between.