Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is fine and I appreciate it. I did not make my comments lightly. I respect the fact that much consideration has been put into this model. However, there is one major issue that is concerning the people of County Clare. We have to remember that it is unique. We have an international airport at Shannon where there is an ongoing security threat as a result of the use of the airport for refuelling and stopovers by the United States military. There is a constant Garda presence. Many of the Commissioner's colleagues were based in County Clare in the last three or four months when President Trump and Vice President Pence passed through the airport. We also have the second busiest tourist attraction in the country, the Cliffs of Moher which are visited by more than 1.5 million people every year. Hundreds of thousands more visit tourist destinations in the rest of the county. People could live with the new structure, but the single biggest concern is that the divisional headquarters is being moved from County Clare to County Tipperary. It is an open and shut case that the divisional headquarters should be located in Ennis because of the international airport at Shannon and given the significant tourist numbers with which we are dealing in County Clare. We only have to look at the profile of police activity in the county in the last six months to see that that is the case. This issue is of such concern to the people of County Clare and their representatives that a special meeting of the local authority, Clare County Council, will take place next Monday to discuss it. I am seeking an assurance from the Commissioner that the divisional headquarters in the Clare and Tipperary division will be located in Ennis.