Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister I would like to again express our deep sadness at the brutal murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. It is an opportunity also to express our deep gratitude to the Garda Síochána. It is only when a tragic event like this occurs that we realise the difficulties they face and the risks they take on our behalf every day. This was unusual but nevertheless the consequences are enormous for Detective Garda Donohoe's family and our deepest sympathies go to his immediate family and his wife and children who will feel his loss more than anyone else.

The Minister has asked me to thank the Senator for raising this matter of significant public importance as it provides me with an opportunity to set out in clear and unambiguous terms the rationalisation of the Garda station and districts network. In 2012, 39 Garda stations were closed, eight of which had not been open for a number of years. Their closure was a paper exercise which simply recognised reality, a reality concealed by the Minister's immediate predecessor. Many more were only one or two-member stations. This year, following a comprehensive assessment by the Garda Commissioner of the Garda station network, a further 100 are listed for closure in the Commissioner's Policing Plan for 2013. Prior to the closures which took place last year, the Garda station network was essentially the same as the Royal Irish Constabulary network in 1922. Such a large-scale static deployment of resources is no longer appropriate in the present day where the transport and communications infrastructure have been transformed beyond recognition. The Garda Síochána has a class-leading police computer system, a state-of-the-art digital radio system, and a transport fleet which is currently receiving significant investment. The new Garda roster currently being piloted provides a better match between Garda availability and policing demands.

All of these developments enable the Garda Síochána to be more mobile and flexible, and to deliver a more effective policing service. We also must be honest about the level of policing service that was capable of being provided from the stations that were and are to be closed. Of the 100 stations to be closed in 2013, 98% are open part-time, 94% are open for three hours a day or less, 88% are served by one garda, and only 5% are served by three or more Garda personnel. The objective is to maximise the time our well-trained and highly skilled gardaí spend on operational duties.

After the closures in 2013 - the majority of those to close will close on 31 January 2013 - there will still be 564 Garda stations in the State. That is still significantly more than in comparable jurisdictions such as Northern Ireland, where there are 86 stations with a population of 1.5 million people, or Scotland, where there are approximately 340 stations for a population of 5.2 million. Are the naysayers seriously suggesting that we should act as if time had stood still since 1922?

Commissioner Callinan has stated that the revised structures will continue to support the Garda community philosophy through the clustering of services at policing hubs. This centralisation of services will facilitate the introduction of enhanced patrolling arrangements which in turn will provide increased Garda visibility as well as maintaining existing Garda links with communities throughout the country. The objective will be to ensure that the best possible policing service will continue to be provided to our communities.

In addition, An Garda Síochána has recently acquired a number of vehicles which are being converted into mobile Garda offices and it is planned that they will be assigned to areas where Garda stations have been closed to ensure that members of the public can continue to conduct their business and interact with members of An Garda Síochána. Gardaí continue to work closely with all communities to enhance community safety through a wide range of local fora such as Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch. Neither the Minister nor this Government will shirk in our responsibility to do everything we can to ensure that the connection with the community is not broken and that the best possible resources are made available to An Garda Síochána. The Minister is confident that members of An Garda Síochána will continue to provide a professional policing service across the country in a manner that is effective, efficient and consistent with the highest standards for which the force is renowned.