John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

The Deputy will be provided with a copy of my speech. I thank him for providing me with an opportunity to respond. As has been mentioned, the Commissioner and a senior management team are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, throughout the country. This allocation of resources is constantly monitored with regard to crime trends, policing needs and other operational strategies in place on a district, divisional and regional level to ensure optimal use is made of Garda resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to public.

I wish to make the following specific points in response to some of the issues raised by the Deputy. While the ethos of community policing is instilled in every member of the Garda Síochána, 21 gardaí are dedicated to community policing in the Galway division and nine are dedicated to community policing in the Roscommon-Longford division. The question of the closure of Garda stations is one for the Commissioner to decide upon as such closures must be detailed in his annual policing plan. The policing plan for 2013 is not yet developed and I will not speculate on what might be in it.

The efficient and effective use of resources is of prime concern in this regard rather than the relatively small cash savings that may accrue as a result of station closures. I will bring the other points raised by the Deputy to the attention of the Minister and the Commissioner. The resources available in the areas referred to by the Deputy are augmented when necessary by district, divisional, regional and national units such as scene of crime officers, the Garda National Drugs Unit and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Glenamaddy Garda station forms part of the Tuam Garda district. Ballinasloe district comprises the two administrative areas of Ballinasloe and Mountbellew. Mountbellew has in its area Moylough, Menlough, Mountbellew and Ballygar, including the Newbridge and Creggs areas. The area of south Roscommon is policed by the gardaí attached to the Clonark Garda station in the Roscommon district.

A community alert scheme is in each of the areas referred to with the exception of Newbridge. Neighbourhood watch and community alert schemes are established at the request of a particular community and every neighbourhood watch and community alert scheme has a liaison officer to ensure a formal link with the local Garda station. Six community alert schemes are in existence in the south Roscommon area in Ballyforan, Curraghboy, Kiltoom, Drum, Moore and Taughmaconnell. Plans are in place with the assistance of the crime prevention officer based at Roscommon Garda station to review, and in some cases amalgamate, some of these in the near future.

The district officer at Ballinasloe Garda station met Deputy Kitt and a number of people from the Newbridge area on Tuesday, 20 March 2012, to discuss their concerns about a number of recent crimes in the area. As result of this meeting it has been agreed to reactivate the dormant community alert and neighbourhood watch schemes in the Newbridge area. Gardaí in Ballinasloe have organised an open community meeting for the Newbridge and Ballygar areas, which will be held this week, to establish correctly a community alert scheme. Another meeting was held last week in the Ballygar area which was attended by local residents and addressed by the divisional crime prevention officer and Mr. Bernard Kearney of Muintir na Tíre. The meeting was also attended by gardaí attached to Ballygar. I hope this information is of some benefit to the Deputy.

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