Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

I hope the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will examine the case to which I referred. It cries out for justice yet there is no remedy available to those involved.

We all hope that when people must depend on the State, it will do all that can be done. However, problems have emerged. For instance, there is the terrible situation where people in rural Ireland live in fear for their lives because of marauding criminals. Promises have been made for extra gardaí but still no resources have been put in place in rural areas. The fabric of rural Ireland is being run down because the right to have protection from marauding criminals is not being upheld. It is an essential service for a rural area along with having a doctor, school and post office.

Who will stay in an area where there is no doctor or protection from marauding criminals? As Garda numbers are finite, gardaí deployments have been mainly to urban centres at the expense of rural areas. Some rural areas that have been traditionally crime-free are now deprived of these resources, creating a haven for criminals. Many older people live in fear because the promise of 2,000 extra gardaí has not materialised. Existing gardaí are being sucked into the larger urban centres. While in the tragic case of Dean Lyons, the ladies were in sheltered housing, they were still not safe.

It would be much better for the Minister to concentrate on supporting people in rural areas. That entails that essential services are not removed from rural areas. I support the Minister's establishment of this commission but it is certainly not before time.

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