Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Senator Darragh O'Brien raised the issue of the strength of the Garda force and station closures and proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, to which I cannot agree. We had a full debate on this issue last week in Private Members' time, which was taken by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter. I will certainly provide the Senator with a briefing on it, which I have been given. As he will be well aware and as was said during last week's debate, the Garda strength is 13,400 and average retirements are 400 per year and it goes without saying that the necessary funding for Garda salaries will be made available even if this means adjustments within the Garda Vote, the wider justice group of Votes or otherwise. In terms of Garda stations, as Senators are aware, this is about smart policing and the most efficient and effective deployment of Garda resources.

I have undertaken an interesting exercise which is to look at the number of crimes recorded in individual Garda stations over a number of years and it is an eye-opener to see how small a number of crimes were reported in some Garda stations. We should also be cognisant that there have been significant advances in modern policing, transport and technology and that the station network must reflect this current situation. Even after the closure of stations in 2013, we will still have 564 stations throughout the country, comparably more than in Northern Ireland or Scotland.

Senator Darragh O'Brien raised a very specific issue, of which I am not aware. I suggest he make the Minister, Deputy Shatter, directly aware of it. That is probably the most appropriate way to deal with it rather than request the Minister to come to the House for debate, since he has just been here.