Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

Today, I want to speak to the Tánaiste about the escalating crisis in policing across south Tipperary, a crisis made worse by the deplorable policy of neglect, under-resourcing and mismanagement by this Government and the previous Government. In communities across south Tipperary, from Carrick-on-Suir to Clonmel, Ardfinnan, Cahir, Cashel, Ballyporeen and Tipperary town, people are telling me they do not feel safe any more. They do not feel protected. We now have a situation where a single garda can be covering multiple towns and parishes, particularly at night. There is no back-up. There is no visibility and there are no patrols. The doors of our smaller, rural stations are rarely, if ever, open.

Meanwhile, drug activity is creeping further into rural communities and towns and criminals are getting even bolder because they know the situation. They know the numbers of gardaí are not there. However, what really beggars belief is the Government's decision to push ahead with the disastrous new Garda divisional model, which has resulted in Tipperary Garda headquarters being moved to Ennis, County Clare. That is a mad decision. This is centralisation gone daft and the consequences of the plan are plain to see - confusion, lack of local knowledge, demoralised front-line members and communities who feel abandoned.

We have now learned that of the 120 gardaí who graduated last week, one came to south Tipperary and one left the same day, Garda Michael Cussen. He was a wonderful officer who returned to his native Cork and I thank him for his dedicated service for the previous ten years to the people of Cahir and Cashel. One came and we lost one, so we are standing still. All of this is happening while gardaí are being trained in their hundreds in Templemore and going to the east coast or to Dublin. They need gardaí too but we cannot have them in Dublin at the expense of the rural areas.

Does the Tánaiste accept that south Tipperary is in the grip of a garda manpower crisis, not just a staffing issue but a public safety emergency? How does he justify the decision to shift the Garda headquarters from Thurles to Ennis? Will it be returned or will the decision reviewed? Can the Tánaiste tell the House exactly how many extra gardaí came, although I just told him? Only one extra garda came. Those are the facts of it. More urgently, will he commit to an adequate increase in gardaí numbers for south Tipperary so that rural people can feel safe in their homes?

This is not just about statistics. It is about real people - farmers, shopkeepers and families young and old who no longer feel protected in their own homes. It is also about front-line gardaí who are doing an excellent job, to be fair to them, with no back up. They have no resources.

Indeed, we saw two gardaí quite seriously injured - Garda John Walsh, an excellent garda in my area, who was savagely assaulted - and I wish him well - and Garda Philip Ryan. There are 12 gardaí in the Cahir-Clonmel district out sick. That happens and it is unfortunate, especially if they are injured on duty. A lady garda was injured recently. She was violently assaulted and it is not good enough. They need to have numbers.

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