Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I asked the Minister in good faith about the number of gardaí in north Cork, but he added a political dimension to it with mention of the bailout and other issues. I do not want to go down that route but to ask a sincere question of the Minister. There were a number of reconfigurations of the Garda division covering the Kanturk, Mallow and Macroom areas from 2012 to 2014. A commitment was given at the time that the position would be reviewed and that numbers would be increased over time. The issue is that Kanturk Garda station which was the mainstay for the Duhallow region was closed and part of the staff were transferred to Macroom and Mallow. Some of the Kanturk area to within a mile or two of Kanturk Garda station is now being covered from Macroom. While the gardaí operating from there are very fine and doing a great job with limited resources, I asked the Minister how many new recruits were deployed to north Cork. If he wants to go down the political route, we can do so, but I am asking him in good faith to outline the plans for the Garda division and whether it is likely Kanturk Garda barracks will be reopened on a full-time basis following what happened between 2012 and 2014.

See this speech in context