Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive overview of the situation and I think there is heart in that. I wish to reiterate two things. Let us get on and proceed as quickly as we can with identifying the necessary legislative proposals because such proposals will be needed, as the Minister of State has already told the House. Let us also see the necessary requirements established for the transport security force.

The Minister of State did not manage to touch on the final piece which was the sitting county councillors. Sitting county councillors - the Minister of State knows this very well as someone who served in local government for years - are central to community policing. They are also central as community stakeholders and advocates for the community. I believe there is a role there, be it on this working group or some other group or through a liaison of the Department itself, for some representatives of sitting county councillors to be engaged and treated as legitimate stakeholders in this process. The Minister of State might think about that and see what opportunities there are in the future where we could incorporate them.