Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It would be remiss of us, however, not to recognise the progress made in the country in the past six years in reducing the unemployment figures and having more people back at work and increasing the standard of living. We all accept, of course, that there is still a lot of work to be done.

Senators Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Victor Boyhan and Gerry Horkan referred to Stepaside Garda station. I am certainly not going to rain on their parade, but Senator Neale Richmond is the public representative closest to the station. It is a matter for the Cabinet and I will be happy to have the Minister for Justice and Equality come to the House to discuss it. Like the other recommendation made by the Cathaoirleach, perhaps it might be more appropriate to raise the issue as a Commencement matter. We welcome the opening of any Garda station, but it is important that Garda stations not be seen as amounting to policing and that there be community policing, with gardaí active on the ground as part of a people-centred model. Senator Boyhan also raised the issue of tweets from Cabinet. I cannot answer for that but I am sure that if the Minister did tweet from Cabinet, we will be able to raise that. I suppose it is important to recognise that the former Taoiseach did place a ban on mobile phones in Cabinet.