Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Is it the Leader's intention to have the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence come to the House at some stage in the near future? It is important that he attend the House because he is fast becoming known throughout the length and breadth of the country as the Minister for closures. Not alone has he closed Army barracks throughout the country but he has also closed Garda stations throughout the country. As a result of the cutbacks to the Garda Síochána budget, he has ensured that outside of the main urban centres of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway, gardaí are not in a position to provide drugs surveillance units. The staff have been redeployed to other duties because the funding is not available to continue surveillance duties. This is a very serious matter, particularly in Border areas because the Border is wide open for distributors to come in to distribute their drugs all over the north east, the north west, and as far as Dublin. I call on the Leader to invite the Minister to the House as a matter of urgency to provide clarification of this serious situation.