Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The notion of a "dedicated" community police force is quite different from the kind of excuses that we have heard in recent years, including from senior policemen, who come out with answers such as "every policeman is a community policeman" and that kind of defensive, meaningless line when they know that is not what is intended by a dedicated community police force.

I did not hear the Minister respond to Deputy Carey's question about whether there ought not be a specified rank and career progression in the service for genuine community policemen.

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