Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I recognise the increased provision of gardaí, particularly in south Kilkenny, which the Minister has mentioned. In my own parish, Ballyhale station and Stoneyford station, which were unmanned for a few years, are now manned. Both of those stations are situated in my locality and were stretched for resources in previous years. I acknowledge that. I am delighted to see that we are operating at full potential again and are seeing a stronger, more robust Garda presence in these communities and the surrounding areas. I recognise the work of the chief superintendent of the Carlow-Kilkenny division and the local superintendent in Thomastown station, which the Minister mentioned. The lines of dialogue between the Garda and the local community get stronger by the day and I am delighted to see the proactive work being done to improve community policing for these areas. However, there is a need for an increase in Garda Reserve numbers for Carlow and Kilkenny. The Garda Reserve has an important function, assisting the work of the main force and interacting with local communities. It also allows citizens to make a positive contribution to their communities and enhances the effectiveness of community policing. There needs to be more members of the Garda Reserve to assist the main force. This will free up the main force's resources. As of 1 December 2016, there were only 695 members of the Garda Reserve. Of these, only 303 claimed their allowance, which is to say that they had completed the full 208 hours of service. Will the Minister comment on that?

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