Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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226. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for the delay in publishing the interim report on the reopening of Garda stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42363/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that I published the interim report concerned on 30 September 2017.

While, in the normal course, it would be appropriate and usual to await the completion of the final report and its consideration by Government, in the light of misleading public comment and baseless assertions being made I concluded that it would be in the public interest to make the interim report available.

I am of the view, in all the circumstances, that the public interest was best served by the publication of the interim report and that there was no question of any "delay" in relation to its publication.