Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae will follow. I am not supporting the retention of these provisions. There are lots of issues the Minister could deal with rather than having this wheeled in every year. I support the Garda. I am aware of a Garda member at home in Cahir, County Tipperary. He is one of the finest community gardaí ever. He had to go to a case last Wednesday on his own. It was a dangerous case and he was almost killed. This is shocking. It is under the Minister's watch. It happens every day under the watch of the Commissioner, deputy commissioner, assistant commissioners, chief superintendents and superintendents who put these people out there. I should also mention the call centre in Cork that got the call from this dangerous individual, who has a record a mile long. I spoke to the garda on Sunday. I wish him well. He asked me to raise this matter in the House. He was almost killed. There was no backup. He was the only garda on duty - out on patrol - in the Cahir-Cashel district when he got that call. There was also one in the station. This is a shocking situation which happens daily and hourly, day and night, because gardaí are being pulled and dragged all over the country. I spoke yesterday to a GRA representative who told me it already has six requests this week for concerts in Dublin, big games and God knows what. The country area is not being policed. This man is an excellent officer. I hope he recovers. He almost lost his life because he had no backup. He knew going to the callout that he had no backup. I commend him. It happened in Clogheen. The nearest gardaí who might have been available were in Clonmel, which is a different district, or in Mitchelstown. Thankfully, the ERU came eventually and apprehended and arrested the gentleman, who is in jail. He has been in and out of jail. I blame the control centre as well. It saw on the computer who it was dealing with - what kind of individual it was dealing with - and sent a lone garda out to that situation. It is intolerable, unacceptable and disgraceful by the Minister and the Garda authorities. It happens night and day, 24-7. We keep raising it.

The Minister quoted how many recruits are coming into Templemore. She told me last week that 220 are expected. I am told we will be lucky if it is 120. Give over the game and the show-offs in Dublin and the big supports. Out in the country, where we need the gardaí, 99% of them do their best and we must support them. The garda I mentioned has a wife and family. I could have been here talking tonight about the death of a garda. It is not good enough for communities to be terrorised. I canvassed that area three weeks ago and was told that the whole community was living in fear of this individual. These dangerous individuals are not being dealt with. We are expecting a garda to go out on his or her own, and they are doing it. I have spoken to them. They are in patrol cars at 3 a.m., nobody with them and no backup, knowing there is no backup. In an area from Araglin to Ardfinnan to Boherlahan, including the two tourist towns of Cahir and Cashel, there was one garda on duty. I hate having to bring this up here tonight but I have to. It is time that the Minister took responsibility and acted to support that garda and his colleagues.

See this speech in context