Paul Bradford (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a motion about the management of our Department of Defence and Department of Justice and Equality, and I have every confidence in the current Minister, Deputy Alan Shatter. We should request the Opposition to engage in a policy debate rather than an attack on the Minister's personality. When we first discussed these matters a number of weeks ago, the challenge was laid down to the Opposition that if it wanted to spend more money on the Department of Defence, the Department of Justice and Equality and the Garda, it should let us know from where the money will come. The taxpayer will foot the bill for every Department and everybody must recognise that the current resources of the State are extremely limited, notwithstanding the significant progress made over the two years or so in turning around this State's finances or the progress on the promissory notes or this week's events in banking. The country is still in a state of financial peril and every ¤1 paid by the taxpayer to a Department must be managed well.

I would love to see endless resources for the Garda and Army but, sadly, that is not available. That kind of resourcing may have been available during the so-called Celtic tiger but how was it used? What was the level of crime five or ten years ago compared with now? In most cases, the rate was higher. The Garda, the Army and everybody connected to the defence of the State must be congratulated for the way in which they are using very limited resources and putting them to maximum use.

We can consider some of the statistics. On 31 December 2012, there were 13,424 members of the Garda, and there were almost 1,000 members of the Garda Reserve. These are significant figures and the Minister has fought hard at a Cabinet level to defend his Estimate and funding for both the Army and the Garda. He has been quite successful in doing so. As I mentioned earlier, we cannot forget the economic backdrop, as the State's finances are still in a state of peril, with no easy money available.

Many of my own colleagues, as well as those opposite, have expressed concern about station closures, which is a valid subject for debate, although the crude mechanism of a Private Members' motion is not the best way to address it. We can step back five or ten years, when there were more Garda stations in the country. At that time in this House, the Dáil and I presume at the justice committees on an almost weekly basis, Members on all sides spoke of community policing and the need to see more gardaí on the beat. As a result of the Minister's recent actions, there have been difficult decisions and the Minister practised what he preached. A Garda station has closed in his constituency. Nevertheless, he has allowed extra gardaí to leave the stations to go on the street. It is making a difference and if we want community policing, those policemen and policewomen must get on the streets rather than work behind a desk in a Garda station. We have often spoken about the level of administration and the number of gardaí behind a desk processing forms, stamping passport applications and doing other duties which could be done by a civilian. Our aspiration should be for every qualified garda to be available for duty on the street rather than working behind a desk.

It is understandable that there has been public concern about station closures but it is also interesting that once dialogue took place between local community representatives, gardaí and, in some cases, politicians in a neutral and balanced fashion, there was a genuine understanding that flexibility would result from the Minister's decision, which would make gardaí more available to citizens. We must aspire to that goal as having gardaí on the beat in communities is the best form of policing.

The Garda Reserve, which was pioneered by a previous Minister, former Deputy Michael McDowell, is beginning to have an impact and it is hoped that further resources and personnel can be provided for that project. I spoke to the Minister, Deputy Shatter, about it last week in seeking the numbers within the Garda Reserve who have applied to join the official force. There is a step-up facility-----