Mr. Richard Kennedy:

I totally disagree with that, and the IFA would totally disagree with that as well. We are not here to bash An Garda Síochána - we never do that - but there is no question that rural areas have been abandoned. An Garda Síochána is practically not there. I cannot stress enough that that viewpoint is not reflective of the reality of the situation.

That is not the case. There is a serious situation out there. Hopefully with the increased resources we will make people feel safe living in the countryside but myself, Mr. Carey and all of our officers go around the countryside and we constantly hear of people who would be slow to open their doors to visitors because they are afraid. I want to leave the committee under no illusions because this is a serious issue. We all hope that matters will improve, that resources will be put in and that they will be used in the best possible way. That is all we can do and we will lobby for that but I cannot stress the seriousness of this issue enough.