Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I accept the point that, as part of general reform of the Garda Síochána, the districts will have to be reviewed in one respect since we are now establishing local policing committees. If they are to function reasonably, they should correspond with understandable local authority boundaries, and that issue will be examined. Regarding the Dublin area, the facts say that Enniskerry is regarded as an adjunct of Dublin, although it is in the same Garda district as Shillelagh in lower County Wicklow, but that is not a significant issue for policing. As PULSE develops, it is becoming easier to produce very specific figures.

I also stress that, even if one operates by counties for statistics on offences, one finds that offenders do not look to see whether they are operating in South Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Fingal or wherever. They carry out their functions as it suits them. Therefore, the concept of a greater Dublin policing area such as the Dublin metropolitan region is not suspect.

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