Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his detailed response. I welcome the information on the four different areas and that an assistant principal will be appointed to the business services area. I take it that will lead to more gardaí on the ground because there will be civilian staff across that section. That is welcome and it is a road we need to travel further down because, no more than any other city or county, there is a huge shortage of gardaí all over the country and particularly in Galway city, even though we have increased the numbers.

I am concerned about Galway county west and the geographical division therein. I say that because I understand that they will link Clifden and Oughterard with the Oranmore and Athenry district. As the Minister will know, it is 70 or 80 miles from Connemara over to Athenry and I would question the workings of that. That needs to be thought through and more detail is needed on it. I would be concerned about that and the message needs to be about visibility within the community and boots on the ground. I am concerned about Salthill Garda station and a superintendent not being there. What I mean by that is that over 35,000 people in the Connemara area would all be linked in to Galway county west as far as I understand the redivision, and the superintendent would be in the Oranmore region. That raises a concern for me.