asked the Minister for Justice if, having regard to the fact that Garda stations in Maynooth and Celbridge, County Kildare are only open to the public for part of a 24 hour cycle and in view of the fact that the adjoining town of Leixlip, which will have a Garda substation shortly, is unlikely to have an office open to the public on a 24 hour basis, he will consider a pooling of resources from the three areas concerned, with a view to the provision of a Garda patrol car for use in the areas of Maynooth/Leixlip and Celbridge during the hours that the Garda stations are not open to the public, thus giving the public a quick response to their queries, and at the same time providing a very obvious deterrent to crime and obtaining maximum efficiency from resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - County Kildare Garda Stations.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that when Maynooth or Celbridge station is closed, the area served by the station is covered by Garda mobile patrols operating from Rathcoole and Naas stations. Each of these stations is provided with an external radio-telephone — the "Green Man"— which enables callers who require Garda assistance when the station is closed to make immediate contact with the district headquarters at Naas. The Leixlip area is patrolled by a Garda car and motor cycle based at Lucan station.
The Garda authorities consider that these arrangements make very effective use of existing resources and they have no proposals at present to provide additional transport for the areas in question. They are, however, keeping the policing arrangements for the north Kildare area as a whole under continuing review.