Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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86. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to request the Garda Commissioner to re-open Cloughjordan Garda Síochána station in County Tipperary, on a 24-hour, seven-day basis, as provided for in the programme for Government. [11672/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is primarily responsible for the effective and efficient use of the resources available to her, including the formulation of proposals in relation to the opening and closing of Garda Stations, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in this matter.

The Programme for a Partnership Government recognises that community policing is the embodiment of An Garda Síochána, providing a means of recognising that every community – both urban and rural – has its own concerns and expectations. It commits the Government to ensuring visible, effective and responsive policing in every community, including the most minimal response times possible.

In support of this objective, the Policing Authority will be asked to oversee a review of, among other things, both the boundaries of Garda districts and the dispersal of Garda stations in rural areas, and in developing urban and suburban areas, with a view to ensuring both an efficient and optimum geographical distribution of stations and minimal response times, including taking account of station closures since 2012.

Under the Programme, the Government is committed to launching a pilot scheme to reopen 6 Garda stations both urban and rural to determine possible positive impacts that such openings will have on criminal activity, with special emphasis on burglaries, theft and public order. This will be initiated within two months and I intend to consult with Commissioner and the Policing Authority to agree the process through which the Commissioner will identify the 6 stations that will be reopened under the pilot.