Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I, too, want to be associated with the words of sympathy expressed in respect of the death of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. If we can do anything to honour his memory, then we must listen to the people.

Everyone is aware that there is a thin blue line which separates society from anarchy. That line has been shattered as a result of what happened in recent days. I ask the Minister to remove the disconnect which exists and to stop tweaking the Garda Síochána. There is a complete lack of communication and a disconnect with regard to what is happening on the ground and what the Minister has indicated - I do not disbelieve him in this regard - the Garda Commissioner is telling him. I question what we are being told. I am aware of a number of ordinary gardaí who are no longer allowed input information into the PULSE computer system. This work must now be done by sergeants. The figures are being massaged in order that the criminals will not become aware of how bad things are at present.

I salute gardaí in my county and elsewhere who have given their personal telephone numbers to citizens. That is a sign of trust. In a reply to a parliamentary question I tabled last week, the Minister indicated that it costs €4,000 to maintain a rural Garda station. It is not the money which is at issue. That same amount was stolen on Friday night last from the credit union in Louth where Detective Garda Donohoe lost his life. I take this opportunity to salute credit union staff. What is important is the presence of a garda and the confidence to which his presence gives rise. The Minister referred to mobile patrols. Many gardaí no longer have access to patrol cars. In the county in which I live, they are hiring cars which do not have sirens, flashing lights or radios. Gardaí can only use their official mobile phones to contact their stations. Morale is at an all-time low.

The town in which I live, Clonmel, has the lowest number of gardaí per head of population in County Tipperary. A balance must be struck in this regard. We must support An Garda Síochána. We must also banish the word "informer" from use. I have been a member of a community alert group since 1986 and I am on the board of Muintir na Tíre which runs it. I salute the community alert groups and I do not believe we should be establishing pilot projects to establish new groups. The model has been in existence for more than 25 years and the Minister should allow it to continue to be used in areas where it is working. If it is not broken, do not fix it. Gardaí who have the confidence of their communities should be allowed to do the job they want to do and are doing.

The Minister should talk to gardaí rather than engaging in megaphone diplomacy with the Garda Representative Association. He should listen to the concerns of ordinary officers and bring them along with him. Gardaí need our support now more than ever. I plead with the Minister and his colleagues in government - who made certain promises prior to the most recent general election - to support the Garda in order that people might sleep easy in their beds at night. They cannot do so at present. I accept that there is waste in many areas but this is not the way to deal with it.

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