Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too would like to express my sympathy to the family of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. We all know being a member of the police force is not an easy job at a very difficult time for all of us.

We have been told that crime figures have been very low in some of the areas where closures will take place. However, perhaps we should take into account the fact that the reason crime rates were low is because stations were open in those areas. They may not remain so low when we close them. I have spoken to gardaí on the ground in Wexford and they have stated that the lack of a Garda presence offers comfort to those who might like to break the law. It also offers them more time to operate as gardaí are further away when needed to respond when a crime is detected. The closure of stations makes crime easier for them.

The main point being made by gardaí is that the visibility of the local garda in a village means a lot and gives comfort to a community. It is important also that local communities know and recognise their local garda. While patrols can be effective, if they have several villages to patrol, many people in the community never get to know these gardaí and have no awareness of the personalities involved or have no face to face contact with them. This is a huge problem.

We all recognise there has been an erosion of rural communities. Not only are they losing Garda stations, they have already lost pubs, shops and post offices. One must live in a small village to realise the importance of all these facilities. The loss of Garda stations is a huge blow to these communities.

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