Tánaiste criticises aspects of McCarthy report

TÁNAISTE MARY Coughlan criticised aspects of the McCarthy report during Dáil exchanges.

She had been asked by Labour leader Eamon Gilmore on the proposal from the group, chaired by Dr Colm McCarthy, that €1 million be saved by closing 350 Garda stations.

Ms Coughlan said that the Minister for Justice would deal with the issue, in consultation with the Garda Commissioner. “If the Government decides this is not an appropriate action, the €1 million will be found elsewhere,” she added.

“There are many recommendations in the McCarthy report which do not make sense.” She added that it would be a matter for the Government to make a decision on how to find appropriate savings to deal with the State’s economic and financial difficulties.

“I am sure Opposition members will be constructive in their proposals as to where we will find savings of €4 billion,” she added.

Mr Gilmore said that everybody was shocked by the death of Paddy Barry, an elderly pensioner in Waterford, following a burglary in his home. Expressing sympathy with the Barry family, he said that Mr Barry’s death had brought into focus the fear and apprehension experienced by many elderly people, particularly those living alone, in the face of criminal activity.

“I have one simple question for the Tánaiste which, I think, might go some way towards alleviating people’s fear,” he added.

“Will she give the House an assurance that those 350 Garda stations will not be closed, that the recommendation will be rejected and that there will not be closure of the small stations throughout the country?’’ Expressing sympathy with the Barry family, Ms Coughlan said that no decision had been made on any of the McCarthy proposals.

“They are all being considered in the context of the budgetary discussions currently under way,” she added. “Therefore, I am not in a position to give an assurance, one way or the other, as to what will happen in regard to the McCarthy proposals.’’ She added that the new model of community policing, announced by the Minister at the beginning of the year, was working well. “We started a process of taking gardaí out of the stations and putting them on the beat rather than doing clerical work,” said Ms Coughlan.

Mr Gilmore said that the RTÉ Prime Time programme had shown the degree to which people throughout the country were very apprehensive. “This is a problem of fear,” he said, adding that an assurance that Garda stations would not close would help alleviate it. Mr Gilmore said he appreciated that there was a financial difficulty, but €1 million could be saved by abolishing two minister of state positions.

“This is an issue which the Tánaiste could put to bed now. She should reassure people that local Garda stations will not be closed and that she will find the €1 million from elsewhere in the State’s budget,” he said