Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleagues on all sides of the House I wish to offer my condolences to the wife and family of Detective Garda Donohoe and to his colleagues and friends. The date and notification of this motion predates that terrible tragedy. I know the content of the motion in no way reflects the circumstances of that brutal slaying. Our party spokesperson, Deputy Niall Collins, has already made that distinction. I ask that the Minister accept that in the spirit in which it is meant.

In the short time allocated to me I do not propose to address any specific issue in the motion but rather I support it in its entirety. As other speakers have localised the issue, on behalf of my constituents in the areas of Shannobridge and Geashill in County Offaly I wish to give voice to their feeling of betrayal of the election promises made when the Minister and his party said they would put more gardaí in all communities. That is the right and privilege given to us as representatives. As Deputy Ó Fearghaíl said, it is our obligation to bring forward the sentiments of those people.

The best qualities and traits of any member of the force is his or her ability to immerse himself or herself seamlessly into the communities he or she serves. Generations before mine will tell of the benefits of that policy direction by previous Governments of all hues that has allowed this to evolve over time to the present day. Many gardaí have succeeded in successfully altering methods to meet the demands of a changing society. Governments have placed at their disposal resources to meet the demands in education, equipment and facilities, to allow that evolution to take place. In the Minister's short time in office, he has paused, as the Taoiseach says, using a word other than "cut", proceedings in Templemore. There is an equipment deficit. He is now taking the bricks and mortar of the facilities which was a sign to those communities that there is security in that community. The Minister by his actions is turning all that has gone before on its head. He is playing games with the morale and the direction of the force.

He is playing games with the fears of the most vulnerable, both rural and urban. I wonder what the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, has against Cork, given that the second city of our country has but one 24-hour Garda station. That will be some legacy for the Government.

The Minister's party prided itself on being the party of law and order. It has been difficult for us, in canvassing in our communities, to rid Fine Gael of that title. Nothing we have done will achieve it; all that will achieve it is what the Minister has proposed since he took office. His efforts at smart policing, be it through the provision of remote-control gardaí or Robocops, will be seen for the rubbish that they are. This is evident from what is being said to us by the communities we serve. This is a grave and ridiculous mistake that I fail to understand. The Minister's colleagues in the Government cannot portray its ridiculousness. I hope their very obvious pleadings tonight to reverse the decision and get it right for once will be heard, even at this late stage.

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