Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To Deputy Dillon, I will make sure the Minister for Education comes back to you on those two issues. Every child should be able to get a place in a school at a reasonable distance from their home, whether in Mayo or anywhere else. I know there are pressures in some parts of the country given population growth pressures and so on. We are putting a huge budget into education in terms of capital investment, scaling up school places and so on. I will get an answer on the two specific issues you have raised.

Deputy Crowe, I am slow to comment on an individual that I do not know anything about or the background to it. What I would say is that within Government, we have enormous respect for An Garda Síochána and the work they do, often in very challenging circumstances. The issue you raise is primarily the responsibility of GSOC and the Garda Commissioner. It is difficult for me to give a comprehensive answer on something that I have just heard on the floor and I do not really know the background to it. If you want to send it to me, I will potentially follow it up with the Minister.

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