asked the Minister for Justice if he has satisfied himself with the amount of Garda cover available in the various towns in County Kildare; whether there is a need for 24-hour Garda patrols in some or any of these towns; if he will give an indication as to the availability of 24-hour Garda service in various towns throughout the county; whether the crime rate is on the increase or decrease in the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - County Kildare Garda Cover.
40.
The precise policing arrangements for individual areas are a matter for the Garda authorities. They inform me that, where it is not feasible to provide a 24-hour patrol service from any particular station in County Kildare, there is an arrangement whereby Garda cover is provided by mobile patrols from the divisional and/or district headquarters responsible for the area concerned. This is the standard arrangement which applies throughout the State and I am satisfied that such an arrangement makes the best use of Garda resources and provides an adequate service.
Provisional figures for crime in 1988 indicate no appreciable change in the level of crime reported to stations in County Kildare in that year as compared with 1987. Corresponding figures for crime detection show an increase of almost 9 per cent in the number of detections recorded in the county last year.