Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)

I agree with the Minister. The home liaison officer is able to access the home. Once upon a time, the community garda was able to get the knowledge on the street and have a trusted relationship with families and neighbourhoods. There is a gap there that needs to be addressed. The Minister is absolutely right about community groups. I am involved with many of them across County Louth. They do excellent work but often they are volunteer groups that are always applying for grants and funding. Their money goes up and down. The volunteers come and go. We need a more structured approach to this. I believe it is not solely the responsibility of the Department of justice. It is a cross-departmental issue that needs to be tackled.