Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, for her response to my queries.

I appreciate, as I stated earlier, that the Policing Authority is autonomous and that we cannot predetermine the outcome of its review of Garda stations. Having said that, I would like to know the Minister's response to me not being allowed know the criteria for the reopening or otherwise of a Garda station. While I accept the Minister saying it is evidence based, I do not understand why I am not allowed to know what the criteria are. It would be helpful for the residents to know that. As the Minister can appreciate, the Stepaside area and the suburbs, because it has become such a national issue and the media have been so strongly talking about it, has been exposed for over four years at this stage and the residents are concerned that it is left as an own-goal for vandalism, hooligans and robberies. I would like to be able to tell them the criteria that will be used by the Policing Authority. In some way, we may be able to help the Policing Authority in informing its decision that Stepaside is a valid Garda station to be re-opened, not only on a pilot basis but on a permanent basis, and as I said, that it would be a refurbished Garda station because the building itself needs significant work and that it would be staffed on a daily basis so that it will be in a position to take calls when there is an incident in the area. I would be grateful if the Minister could answer those questions.

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