Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is not only an attack on rural Ireland, it is an attack on urban and rural Ireland. I have repeatedly made these points in relation to station closures across Dublin as well. The Minister fails to recognise that his policies are resulting in a disconnection between gardaí and communities and access to garda services on a satellite basis. The Minister and I differ in terms of our vision for policing in this country. The Minister, when discussing this issue, repeatedly refers to the Garda Commissioner, in respect of which I have also taken issue with him.

The Minister referred to what happened in Oldcastle. A pensioner in Kerry was robbed on the same day a local Garda station there was closed. One can be selective about the stories one tells. The point made by the Minister in support of the closure of part-time rural Garda stations was raised at the meeting in Mayo last night. People take issue with his statement that 61,000 hours will be freed up to allow gardaí engage in additional policing. Gardaí in the communities are already carrying out this function. There is nothing wrong with their being available in Garda stations to interact with the public. There is nothing wrong with an elderly person knowing he or she can go to the local Garda station to make a complaint and so on. The Minister fails to recognise this. This is part of a wider plan to remove other services from communities, towns and villages and centralise them in larger cities.

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