Vol. 440 No. 4
121 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Justice if she will modify the opening hours or manning levels of the Garda station in Monasterevan, County Kildare; the plans, if any, she has to change the current status of the station; and if there will be no diminution in the Garda presence at Monasterevan, County Kildare.
There are no plans at present to change the status of Monasterevan Garda Station or to reduce the Garda presence there. The present Garda strength at Monasterevan station is I sergeant and 2 gardaí which has been the norm for the past number of years.
The station is open to the public from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. It is closed on Sunday. Outside of these hours callers to the station can use the communication link and a member on patrol can be contacted to deal with the problem.
A patrol car is shared between Monasterevan and Rathangan stations and joint mobile patrols are carried out in both sub-districts.
The Garda authorities are satisfied that the present policing arrangements for Manasterevan make for the most effective use of resources and any extension of the opening hours would prove counter-productive by taking members from outdoor patrol duties where they are more gainfully employed. However, the situation will be kept under review by the Garda authorities.
