Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I think this might be the tenth year of Operation Thor. Can the Minister of State give an indication of the changes made to the operational detail of Operation Thor over that period to account for new trends?

Of the new gardaí, how many are being positioned in rural counties or rural areas? I acknowledge the operation of An Garda Síochána is a matter for the Commissioner but I am concerned by the new operational model which, for instance, combines Longford, Roscommon and my native county of Mayo into one unit in terms of local division management. That, going from Blacksod to Mullingar, is a huge area. It has taken some management out of it. Will the Minister of State give assurances that the model will not result in a reduction in policing?

I acknowledge the huge work put in by An Garda Síochána in the Tom Niland case, which is before the courts. Massive effort was put in by gardaí, led by Superintendent Mandy Gaynor. Even though it was in Sligo, it was just down the road from my area and highlighted the concerns in rural areas about the need for greater visibility of enforcement on the ground. Will the Minister of State respond to that?

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