Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

Fáiltím roimh na finnéithe. I thank the members of An Garda Síochána for their service to the people of Ireland and to the country. My uncle was a superintendent in Tallaght. My other uncle was a sergeant in Galway. I know from my own family that we have a huge appreciation for the work and service that all the members of An Garda Síochána give to the country. I ask them to keep doing what they are doing and to do it the best of their abilities because many millions of Irish people depend on them to keep them safe. As always, there are the small few who try to disrupt that. We appreciate the work they are doing.

I will run through a few questions and I do appreciate the witnesses' transparency on them. I will be a bit parochial, but there is a Garda station in Monivea, the lovely village I come from in County Galway, and right there as well is an old house that was previously lived in. I have no doubt that this situation is replicated right across the country. Do the witnesses know how many vacant Garda station residences there are? Are any attempts being made to encourage young gardaí to move into these residences and make them their homes? I ask this because, from what I have seen, this was the most effective form of community policing.