Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

Some savings will be made but it is about more efficient deployment of available resources and the changing of Garda rosters which will free up gardaí, giving us more efficient policing as a result. That addresses the question of Garda stations. The Minister outlined that others will be closed in the coming years. We have had approximately the same number of stations since the foundation of the State. Northern Ireland used to have 160 stations only some years ago but this has been reduced to 80, with talk of closing more. This is the situation as it stands.