Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I wish briefly to reiterate my point. I am not talking about money, grant aid or an extension of schemes that would involve further public expenditure. The Minister of State's own constituency in Donegal is no different from mine. Garda patrols are less frequent and some Garda stations are being closed, while opening hours in others are restricted. The Minister of State referred to the national model of community policing. Will he recommend that where local communities have already got funds in place, a Garda liaison officer will assist them? If we were in times of plenty this would not be an issue. We would have gardaí on foot patrol, in fast patrol cars and on motorbikes, but we do not have such services in rural Ireland.

For years, in the Laois-Offaly Garda division, in my constituency, we had five superintendents and one chief superintendent. We now have no chief superintendent and only one superintendent. I am asking the Minister of State to explain to the Minister for Justice and Equality that we are not seeking funding or grant aid, but are looking for the current laws to be facilitated. The current regulations should encourage local gardaí to work in partnership with the community when they obviously cannot police areas in the same way as they have since the foundation of the State.

See this speech in context