Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply, and I want to put on record my appreciation of the fact that he facilitated me with a meeting to discuss this matter some time ago. It would be a great message for rural communities if a Garda station was to open up again in a small village. There has been a serious increase in crime levels and criminality in rural areas, including that part of west Cavan and, therefore, a message from the Minister that a Garda station will open shortly would be positive and would be well received.

I did not think, after 1998, that I would be talking about Border crossings in this House again, but unfortunately it is very much a part of the political narrative again, with Brexit on the way. In the west Cavan area there are a huge number of Border crossings. We know the implications of Brexit and the difficulties that may arise for communities on both sides of the Border. Gardaí with local knowledge will be important to ensure that the best service continues to be provided to the public. I again ask the Minister to ask that the Garda authorities to speed up the reopening of this station. I appreciate his assistance to date in this matter.

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