Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State's response. I acknowledge there are limitations. He is not telling me what I want to hear in respect of the particular case.

It would be useful for the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, to know that in his own county of Kilkenny there are nine such premises. I asked the question lately of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. I asked him what number of residences were under his remit and how many were available to An Garda Síochána for official accommodation. He told me, for instance, that there were nine in Kilkenny, 19 in the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's fair county, and 34 in my county. I refer specifically to one such station, which is Buttevant.

The fundamental point is that for the sake of a relatively small investment in terms of the State's resources, an opportunity could be created for members of An Garda Síochána to live within their communities. Even though they may not be stationed there, there would at least be a presence. Families would be housed at the same time.

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