Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's reply, unfortunately, is totally unsatisfactory. With regard to Stepaside specifically, I looked for the figures but they have stopped producing them, I presume because they are so embarrassing and, as there is an epidemic of burglaries, they do not want to expose themselves to the accusation that the closure of the station was a disaster and was wrong.

This is of epidemic proportions. I have spent the last three days being telephoned and going out to the Stepaside area to meet people who have been burgled there. We do not need Garda responses to burglary; we want Garda prevention of burglary. The idea that the smart policing which was introduced by the last Minister and the last Commissioner is more effective is complete and utter nonsense. They are very good at arriving after the crime and giving counselling and comfort to those who have been burgled in Stepaside but they are not good at preventing that crime. What we need is prevention, and that is only achieved if criminals think they are going to be caught.

What I am asking of the Minister is to have a permanent Garda presence in that area, as was there before, to reassure people so they can feel secure, and also to send the message out to the criminals that there is a Garda presence. The Minister may not be aware of this but, since the closure, virtually every shop on one side of the street in Stepaside has been robbed or broken into. One of the bookies was done twice in two weeks because the criminals got such a good haul out of it, the pub has been done once, the hairdresser has been done, and many houses close to the Garda station have been done.

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