Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Garda Review recently described these changes as a victory for criminals. The closure of rural Garda stations means members of the Garda Síochána are not in contact with the local community. They must travel over 50 miles to emergency callouts, which is hardly progress in terms of policing. Since 2008, the number of gardaí has reduced by 1,000 and staffing levels in 108 Garda district have fallen by over 10%. The Garda Síochána cannot access staff or vehicles in many rural areas and cannot access the public because they have no means of getting there. Is that the kind of policing the Taoiseach wants across the country?

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