Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 5 November 2015
Public Accounts Committee
Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General 2014
Vote 21: Prisons
Vote 24: Department of Justice and Equality
Chapter 9: Development of Prison Accommodation in Dublin
10:00 am
John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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In terms of station closures and associated savings, I echo the point made by Deputies Deasy, Ross and others that there is great concern in rural areas about the carrying of firearms, violent raids on commercial premises and assaults on people in their private homes. It is frightening. I encourage the Garda to do whatever is necessary, wherever these raids have peaked, to provide localities with more resources and give comfort and commitment to communities. Gardaí are making the effort to do that but at no stage in the course of doing it should resources become an issue. That in itself would be a kind of defeat in the face of the alarming escalation of burglaries and violence.