Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge what was done in the budget only goes a certain way towards restoration for the work that is being done in criminal law by many barristers. As part of the increase in the budget I have committed to a full review to look at the overall service being provided. This may bring about different changes, not least to how the fees and structures are implemented and applied. We have committed to this and work is under way already to engage in this regard.

With regard to visibility and people feeling safe and being safe, if people do not feel safe it does not matter how many gardaí we have or what resources we put in place. A feeling is often as challenging and can create fear. We need to make sure we have this visibility. Often, it is visibility that reduces people's sense of feeling unsafe. Senator Ward mentioned the number of gardaí who have come to Dublin. Out of the past two attestations, 151 gardaí have gone to Dublin. This is not to say gardaí in Dublin were not transferred and redeployed to other areas as they were but overall these figures are an acknowledgement of the particular pressures faced by the city centre of the capital city with its large population base. Over time, we want to see a steady flow every three months of up to 200 gardaí coming out of the college and not to have one area prioritised but to spread the numbers evenly across the country. This requirement for visibility is needed not only in Dublin city centre but also throughout the country.

In the context of buildings in rural areas, a very small number of gardaí live in accommodation attached to a station. There are no plans as such at present to house gardaí or to place gardaí in large dormitory-style buildings or in accommodation similar to that in the college. This is not to say that it cannot happen. We face the same challenges as many other sectors and organisations in the capital city, and the same as we would see in every other capital city in the world, with increased costs for housing. This brings about challenges. The reason for increasing the training allowance is to acknowledge there are increased costs for people. When members go out to work as part of their training they receive a fee per day. This is an acknowledgement of the increased costs. It is a challenge when members are deployed to Dublin. There is an increased cost for them. It is a challenge that everybody faces. It would need a collective response if we were to put in place a particular measure. This is not to say that where we have buildings or vacant properties, they might not be used but there are no plans at present to do so.