Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a critical point. Being independent, the Policing Authority is being asked to undertake a review of the stations which were closed, with a view to some of them potentially being reopened. Nonetheless, we do not know what the process is going to be. It is important there be a clear and transparent process regarding which six stations will be opened initially and also, for example, whether local communities will be allowed to make a submission. The Minister might comment on this.

With regard to garda numbers, will the Minister comment on what is stated in the most recent report of the Garda Inspectorate that a couple of hundred gardaí are effectively engaged in clerical or administrative duties - desk work - when they should be available for front-line policing services? What progress has been made on that recommendation?

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