No area to be left without Garda presence-Minister

The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, yesterday moved to assure the public that no area would be left bereft of a Garda presence in the reorganisation of policing resources.

However, he added that the closure of Garda stations was a matter for the Garda Commissioner, Mr Noel Conroy.

Earlier this week, Mr McDowell told The Irish Times a decision had to be taken on whether administering a Garda station was a good use of Garda time, as every static position took 5.2 members of the Garda.

He said he intended to "outsource" a number of Garda functions such as processing fines and signing passport applications in order to concentrate Garda resources on fighting crime.

Yesterday the Minister said decisions on manning and on the deployment of resources were matters for the Garda Commissioner. "And the future deployment of An Garda Síochána, its redeployment to take account of demographic changes in the country and redistribution of population is a matter for him to decide."

Mr McDowell said he wanted to assure everybody that the quality of the Garda service would continue to improve.

"And secondly I want to dispel the notion that any place in Ireland is going to be left bereft of Garda presence. On the contrary, what we are trying to achieve is that ... An Garda Síochána modernises itself and deploys itself where the greatest need exists."

Asked if any Garda stations would close, Mr McDowell said the new Garda Bill did not provide for the closure of anything. "That's a matter, regardless of legislation, for decision by the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána."

Mr McDowell said he wanted to improve the infrastructure of the Garda and to ensure that gardaí were working in modern and effective stations with room for video-taping facilities and adequate medical facilities.

"And I have no doubt that in the process of modernising the Garda Síochána there will be change but I have equally no doubt that people expect An Garda Síochána to change with the times and to remain an active, effective police force."

The Minister was speaking at Dublin's Garden of Remembrance, at a commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Irish Volunteers.

He said the Volunteers had "established and vindicated the standards for those who serve today". Those standards continued to be well maintained, both at home and abroad, by the men and women of the Defence Forces, he added.