Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The funny thing is that I am praising the Minister but it is nice to hear that he is listening to me, even though he might not give that impression. What I am trying to say is that I appreciate the work that has been done on this Bill but we must look at the bigger picture. It is all about solving crime and taking on criminals. These criminals are highly resourced, so the institutions of our State face a massive fight in taking on these thugs, murderers, thieves and extremely undesirable people. I commend the Minister on the effort he has put into his role. We may disagree on many occasions about other aspects of his understanding of policing. As the Minister knows, I was the person who came into this Chamber and proved that the closure of rural Garda stations has cost the State more. It is costing more to keep Garda stations closed than it would to keep them open.

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