Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Minister, Deputy Bruton, and, indeed, the Minister for Justice and Equality, who has arrived in the Chamber, what the Government have against County Tipperary. It has taken our local councils and our Army barracks. It has taken our mental health services but now proposes to move our Garda divisional chief superintendent's office to Ennis. It will be 125 miles away from people in Tipperary. The Government is treading down on the people, worse than what Cromwell did to the people all those years ago. This Fine Gael Government is punishing the people of Tipperary because they have not returned a Fine Gael Deputy. They will never have one if the Government keeps doing this. Tipperary will fight back against this and its people are entitled to some modicum of security. There is a proud Garda Síochána record of service there. We want to keep it and we want to support them. We will not take this lying down. Will the Minister state that the Commissioner is able to do this off his own bat? There is accountability to the elected people here in Dáil and the Commissioner must be held accountable. It is not a runner and it will not happen.

See this speech in context