Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The pilot would inform the other aspect of the work that is being done by the Garda Inspectorate. It will be in a position to inform the broader review. I agree with the Deputy and think it is extremely important that the Garda Inspectorate is examining in detail the dispersal and use of resources available to the Garda Síochána in the delivery of policing services to local communities and will make recommendations to provide a more effective, visible and responsive policing service. The needs vary quite considerably throughout the country. If the Deputy examines the statistics for crime, there are huge variations and there are trends at different times where one type of crime may replace another or comes to the surface and needs to be dealt with. That does need resources to be used in a flexible way. The Deputy made a point about a certain inflexibility in that regard in the past. It is really important that the Garda Commissioner is in a position to respond in a flexible way and move the resources to where they are needed and that is certainly the intention in the context of the examination taking place.

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