Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I too have to say, on behalf of the elderly people of Donegal, it is an absolute disgrace that the Minister for Justice and Equality is not here to answer this very important question from three Donegal Deputies. I sat in my office in Leinster House to watch "Prime Time" when Miriam O'Callaghan interviewed Phyllis McGee, a very brave woman, who was robbed not once but twice in her home in Pettigo. The next morning, I got a message from Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn to tell me there were two more robberies in Inishowen. As people were sitting back, some in tears, watching Phyllis McGee's bravery, criminal gangs were out preparing to rob elderly people in other parts of Donegal.

The Minister, Deputy Shatter, went to the media and said the closure of rural Garda stations will ensure more gardaí are on the beat in Donegal and other areas. That is nothing but bull. Let us look at the facts. Some 31 gardaí have been taken from the Donegal service in 2012 alone and 24 gardaí have been taken off the street and put in offices. The station in Pettigo does not have a garda assigned to it. Ten years ago, 12 gardaí were assigned there, eight years ago there were four and there were two until recent years. Now, there is none.

No wonder criminals see the likes of Phyllis Magee as an easy target in rural Border communities. The Minister needs to do more than spin. He should be before this House telling elderly, vulnerable people in Donegal and other communities what his strategy is to ensure that the gardaí are resourced to the best of his ability to ensure that these crimes do not happen in the first place and that when they do happen that the perpetrators will be caught.

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