asked the Minister for Justice if he will reconsider the question of reopening the Garda station at Littleton, Thurles, County Tipperary.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Tipperary Garda Station.
7.
Following receipt of recent representations in the matter I asked the Garda authorities to carry out a further examination of the policing arrangements for the Littleton area. They state that, having reviewed the matter in consultation with the local Garda officers, they still consider that the re-opening of a station in Littleton would not be justified at present. Improved patrolling arrangements for the area have, however, been introduced and they are satisfied that these new arrangements provide for an effective police service.
I should like to ask the Minister three questions. First of all, is he aware—since I raised the question in the House 12 months ago—that this matter has become one of prime urgency in the Littleton area and that despite the best efforts of mobile patrols in Thurles the situation has worsened considerably? Vandalism is rampant in the area and £8,000 damage was done to the local school. Is the Minister aware that the people there are living in fear for their lives and safety? Will the Minister confirm or deny that a deputation which had arranged to meet him in Dublin found that their journey was fruitless because they could not make contact with him having been told that he was unavailable? Would the Minister agree that his many statements on the need for increased Garda strength, particularly in rural Ireland, is of little consolation to the people of Littleton who feel there is an urgent need to reopen the station? Littleton is situated on the main Dublin-Cork road, is a growing centre of population and experiences a lot of traffic daily.
With regard to the first charge made by the Deputy——
It was a statement of fact.
In reply to the Deputy's supplementary, whether it was an allegation or a statement of fact, I should like to state that the figures for indictable crime in the former Littleton sub-district, population approximately 350, clearly show that there is nothing to substantiate the Deputy's allegation. I accept that a deputation travelled to Dublin to meet me. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, arranged that I meet that deputation. I was confined to bed on the Thursday and Friday of that week and a Member, who is a doctor, can testify to that because he wrote a prescription for me to combat the flu. The deputation met Garda Commissioner McLoughlin and since that meeting the additional measures I mentioned have been adopted. I understand that the Garda are satisfied that the arrangements are more than adequate to meet the situation. I should like to tell the Deputy, as I have already told the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Smith, that in six months' time I will ask the Garda authorities to review the situation.
After 7 June.
I hope the Minister will accept what I have stated as genuine. I wanted to convey to the Minister the concern of the people in the area about the rampant vandalism. The people hope that the Minister is as concerned as they are about the situation and they want him to show his concern by reopening the Garda station.
I fully appreciate the situation.
That is poor consolation to the people of Littleton. We will discuss this matter after 7 June.