Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
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We had engagement with the Commissioner earlier and one of the big issues that came up was the recruitment and retention of gardaí. In some respects the Garda is a victim of the successful employment situation whereby there are many options for people with the skills that gardaí have. An issue that arises in my area is the cost of housing. For gardaí at Blackrock Garda station in south Dublin, at Dún Laoghaire Garda station or any other Garda station in the area, housing is very expensive. None of the gardaí lives in the area, and this is an issue. At the same time, the OPW sold the former Kill o' the Grange Garda station to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and it is still vacant and unused. As far as I know, the former Garda station in Dalkey is still in the possession of the OPW but it is not being used for anything substantial. There is an opportunity for these buildings to be used to house gardaí who cannot afford housing.

By the same token, when we go outside Dublin to rural areas, and I have family in west Galway, they do not have a garda living within 20 miles of them. When I was young, there used to be a garda in the village of Leenaun in Connemara. There was a Garda station in the village and a sergeant lived in the village with his family. Even if he was not on duty he was available. The people there now have to call Clifden, which is 20 miles away. It takes time for gardaí to respond to whatever incident might occur. Is there a way in which buildings in rural areas that are vacant could be taken over by An Garda Síochána and used to house gardaí for free or at a preferential rate? This could also be done in areas where housing is available or potentially available. It would be not so much so that gardaí are manning a station in the area but so they are living in the community and, therefore, available to the community if an emergency arises.

I know the Minister is acutely aware of the issue of the visibility of policing. I acknowledge that the bulk of the most recent recruits from Templemore have come to Dublin and this is welcome. I know from speaking to business in the Dublin area that they feel there has been an improvement in attitudes and how people feel. People must feel safe as well as being safe. I do not accept that Dublin is a dangerous place. I say this as somebody who is in the city centre every day. I walked down O'Connell Street today. This does not mean that people are wrong to feel unsafe. We need to address this and visible policing is certainly the way to do so. I hope that the bulk of the next group who come out of Templemore will also be allocated to Dublin to make sure we can continue in the vein of putting visible policing on the streets so people can feel they are being properly policed and properly looked after by An Garda Síochána. I believe they are but let us make sure they feel they are.

I cannot let the moment pass without mentioning criminal legal aid. I acknowledge the work done in the budget. A restoration of 10% is only a fraction of what should and can be done. I say this in circumstances where I am a practising criminal barrister and a recipient of criminal legal aid. It is not about me but about junior barristers who are leaving criminal law because they cannot make a living in it. I reiterate this to the Minister even though I know I have said it several times previously.