John Kelly (Labour)

I also welcome the Minister and am only sorry I was obliged to bring him back here today because he dealt with two similar Adjournment matters yesterday. I wish to raise the proposed closure of the Garda stations at Loughglynn and Tarmonbarry, County Roscommon. On foot of his responses to other Members yesterday, I accept this is not a cost-saving measure. However, I believe some of the recommendations by senior gardaí are flawed in respect of some of the Garda stations they have selected for closure. In the case of Loughglynn, it is a little village close to my home town of Ballaghaderreen, where two gardaí were shot dead in 1980. It is a one-man station and the garda there is retiring. What amazes me in this case is that although this man is ready to retire, the Office of Public Works is spending €80,000 on renovations to the same building and there is something fundamentally wrong with that.

I believe a major mistake is being made in respect of Tarmonbarry Garda station.

Nobody is retiring in this case. Tarmonbarry is one of three gateways to the west, the others being Athlone and Carrick-on-Shannon. However, Tarmonbarry is the main one.

The projected savings by closing Tarmonbarry Garda station is €3,000 to €4,000 per annum while €80,000 is being spent at Loughglynn Garda station. Some 20 years ago there was one sergeant and five gardaí in Tarmonbarry village dealing with 18 houses. Today there are 400 houses in Tarmonbarry and only one garda who is not proposing to retire.

Recently in Tarmonbarry a German couple were tied up and robbed. The incident got national coverage on television and were it not for the quick action of the local gardaí, the offenders would have got away. Obviously rural Ireland is a target for Dublin criminals. This happens regularly, with rural post offices being robbed. Six months ago my sister, who works in a small post office, was held at gunpoint, tied up and robbed by a Dublin gang. They were apprehended on their way towards Tarmonbarry, thank God. Many other post offices in County Roscommon have been robbed by Dublin gangs. Down through the years many of these gangs have been apprehended in Tarmonbarry which straddles the River Shannon. Given that they have to get back to Dublin — there are three routes — 90% return by Tarmonbarry. I have spoken to a senior garda source and he thinks that the decision to close many of the Garda stations is flawed.

Another mistake made recently was that Tarmonbarry Garda station was taken out of the control of the Longford Garda division and put under the control of the Boyle Garda division. That is another reason there should be a manned station in Tarmonbarry. Longford is no more than five or six minutes from Tarmonbarry whereas Boyle is 45 minutes from Tarmonbarry. The bottom line is that we do not want to send a signal to the criminals who come and rob rural areas that we are open for business to them.