Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister of State the best in his role.

We were all asking for more gardaí on the ground and in our communities. It is no surprise that, in the few minutes I have, I will be making this request for west Cork. We are very fortunate in west Cork, particularly the Ballydehob–Schull area, to have Garda Jonathan McCarthy living and working. That is very valuable. A garda like Jonathan is of incredible value to a community because such a garda knows who is who, who should or should not be in the community, and who is there for good and benefit of people and who is not. Unfortunately, throughout this country we have lost the local garda living in the locality. I commend Garda McCarthy and his family on making the decision to do so. Community garda are essential across the country. Jonathan is well acquainted with the local dynamics and is involved in the local community. He knows which parents or teachers to contact with youth-related issues, which families or neighbours to approach with concerns about the elderly, and the right individuals to engage with on local matters. This model would be highly effective throughout Ireland. The Minister of State cannot dictate where a garda goes to live but he can certainly give gardaí incredible supports to live in the communities they work in. It would turn policing around in this country.

I am involved with the Garda youth awards, just on the outside looking in, to be honest, and maybe trying to put forward the name of some young person in our community who needs to be commended. I commend Garda Damian White and others, who have long been associated with the Garda youth awards.

These awards are excellent for recognising the hard work of young people and the enthusiasm they have for their communities. Many people criticise young people but these awards are a special way for young people to be acknowledged for the significant work they do in their communities. Without the dedicated individuals who organise the event, such as Garda White, it would be challenging to provide such acknowledgement.

The unfortunate situation of international protection accommodation services, IPAS, centres being set up in rural communities means gardaí must be under immense pressure. No extra gardaí are going to be in those local communities and they need assistance. It does not matter if there are IPAS centres in an area. Even if there is an influx of 40 or 50 people to a village of 150 or 200 people, whether they come from Goleen, Donegal or across the water, extra gardaí and manpower are required. That is not being accounted for and is causing angst and worry in rural communities. There are discussions about establishing an IPAS centre in Skibbereen, which is causing concern. Another may be established in Glengarriff, a small tourist village that lacks the infrastructure to accommodate any influx of IPAS users. The village has no resident gardaí and limited services. This raises concerns about how these individuals manage their daily needs. They have daily needs and we need to be concerned about them. Unfortunately, the services are not being backed up by the Government's plans. I do not know if the Government has a great plan or if it has pulled together a botch job.

See this speech in context