Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Some of that work is ongoing and I hope it will be forthcoming in the coming period. Some of the objective is to ensure that when that request comes, it receives a favourable and sympathetic response.

The context is important. In some respects Carrigaline would be seen as an area which is relatively prosperous and that would be middle class. That is true to a large extent, albeit, as with any large town, there are pockets of disadvantage as well. No matter what the demographic make-up is, when you have that many young people in an area there is always the possibility for some of them to stray from the paths they should be on and to end up in crime and antisocial behaviour. To have such a large young population in a town is a challenge. It is an enormous benefit and it lends huge vibrancy to a town but it needs to be met with the right resources as well, which is the objective here.

I want to talk about the general policing situation in Carrigaline. Unfortunately, there have been some serious incidents in recent years, including more than one murder and some serious assaults. There is fear and frustration that, despite how quickly Carrigaline has grown, there is generally only one squad car out at night. The numbers in the Garda station reflect a time when it was a much smaller town. I ask the Minister of State to bring back to the Minister the need to ensure there is more than one squad car in the evenings to ensure a Garda presence. That is the best way to prevent crime.

I appreciate the Minister of State's response and I hope he will take my points back to the Minister. We must ensure that when the application comes in, as I expect it will in the coming period, it receives a sympathetic response. This would be a farsighted and wise investment that would make a huge difference to the young people in question and to the town as a whole.

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