Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)

I thank the Taoiseach for his offer. I will send him the relevant details.

Referring to the closure of Garda stations, the outgoing president of the Garda Representative Association, Damien McCarthy, made the following prophetic statement at the GRA conference in April:

It's going to become perhaps a safe breeding ground for criminal activity. It's going to contribute significantly to the fear of crime particularly amongst our senior citizens around the country.

The incident I highlighted is highly embarrassing for the local garda in question, of whom I am not in any way critical. In all the complaints that I and other Deputies are receiving on this issue no one blames rank and file gardaí. The current president of the GRA, Mr. John Parker, has noted the following:

Nearly one in every five garda vehicles has been withdrawn and not replaced due to budget cuts for the garda fleet over the past two years. It is set to get worse as more and more vehicles reach the end of their life and can no longer be maintained safely.

There is a problem and there is no point glossing over it. I ask the Taoiseach to speak to the Minister for Justice and Equality, who is in denial and passes the buck to the Commissioner and superintendents. Let us have a conversation about the reality emerging in rural communities in respect of Garda response times. Gardaí on the ground deserve better and should be provided with the resources they require to do their job to the ability they clearly possess.

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