Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the news of 200 new entrants. We would be more than happy to accept those into Carlow and Kilkenny in one blow if the Minister wanted to use it as a pilot scheme.

In all seriousness, I am encouraged by the recent recruitment campaign and that brings peace of mind, especially for our older and more vulnerable people in communities right across the constituency. They love seeing gardaí on the ground and that visibility on the beat. Whenever there is an event and gardaí are sourced, people feel safe. It is our duty to make sure we continue to support those Garda stations.

Finally, a couple of Garda stations are currently not operational. If the Minister could have a look at that to ensure all 18 Garda stations in Kilkenny and the eight in Carlow have some sort of physical presence on a regular basis, it would be much appreciated by the local communities they represent on the ground.

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