Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The announcement of the closure of Stepaside Garda station about two weeks ago took the people of Stepaside and the surrounding area by surprise and was a considerable shock to them. The area between Dundrum and Enniskerry, in which approximately 18,000 to 20,000 people live, will be without a Garda station as a result. I must declare an interest as I was brought up about 500 yards away from this Garda station. In the days when I was growing up, it was the centre of a very small community. It is now the centre of a very large community which is extraordinarily surprised and universally upset by the fact that the station is to close, because it is such an important part of the lives of young and old people in this area.

We held a meeting about this in Kilternan a few days ago and what was so striking about it was that people of all ages and from all areas of life feel they depend on the local Garda station as part of their local community. Members of the Garda also attended the meeting and spoke against this closure, saying it would be far more difficult to police the area if this station is closed next July or at any other time. Stepaside contains a post office and many shops and has been expanding considerably in recent times. The area that will need to be policed includes Sandyford, Leopardstown Shopping Centre, Carrickmines, Carrickmines Retail Park and Glencullen. The area also has a rural aspect. It is very important that people who live in and around the Dublin Mountains in Glencullen and Barnacullia have a local Garda station. They feel they will not be properly served if this service goes to Dundrum or Blackrock.

I know the thinking in the Department is that the area will be well policed because there will be a large number of Garda cars able to service the area. The difficulty here is the distance, the traffic and the problem of getting from Dundrum out to Kilternan in a short period of time. That will be the real problem. This Garda station, which includes 30 gardaí, will have to be removed and I do not know what will happen to it. I do not know if the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence heard about the result of that meeting but there was a unanimous demand that this Garda station be kept open. I welcome the presence of Deputy Mathews, who is also against the closure.

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