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

I take the Deputy's point. Decisions were taken on the best way to provide policing in this country and stations were closed. However, the key point is that it was the Deputy's party which presided over the economic recession that led to the decision to close Templemore. That is the reality of the situation. Fianna Fáil closed Templemore and I opened it. The Government is investing. The Deputy's party stopped investing. Having made that point, I want to assure the Deputy that the best way forward to ensure that communities like her one receive community policing is by continued investment in An Garda Síochána and by proper allocation based on the need in a given area. It should not any other criteria or because somebody decides somebody should be placed in a particular area but should be based on the objective criteria of the needs of an area. The Deputy makes the case very well for her area in west Cork and I have no doubt that the points she made about drugs, the need for community policing and so on are accurate. There is no doubt that when the Garda Commissioner and the management of An Garda Síochána are allocating personnel, they will see to it that the needs of the Deputy's area are met as well as others.

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