Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Mar 1992

Vol. 417 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Enfield (Meath) Garda Station.

Mr. Farrelly

I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this matter on the Adjournment. I wish to avail of the opportunity to congratulate the new Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea, and wish him every success in his brief.

I wish to draw the Minister's attention to the proposal to close the Garda station at Enfield, County Meath from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. This station has a Garda complement of two sergeants and 19 gardaí. That is, because of the security duties they have to carry out at Irish Industrial Explosives Limited, the only factory of its kind in the country. I would like to ask the Minister what the Garda hope to achieve in making this proposal, how much money will be saved and who will provide a security escort in moving explosives from the factory at Enfield to Tara Mines and Gypsum Industries, for example, on a daily basis? Will a fully manned Garda car be assigned to the station if this decision is made and how many patrol cars will be in the area?

At present when there is a call for help cars have to come from Trim, which is 12 miles away, and the journey takes between 12 and 15 minutes. Furthermore, Enfield is expanding. Thirty to 40 new houses have been built during the past few years in the town which is situated on the main road from Dublin to Mullingar and the west.

The Government spend over £1 million a day on security along the Border. Yet, we are reducing security in the vicinity of the only explosives factory in the State. Prior to the robbery in Waterford many people said that such a robbery could not take place but I did and over £2.5 million was taken none of which has been recovered.

Mr. N. Treacy

Not yet.

Mr. Farrelly

We are now faced with the possibility that a robbery could take place at this location. If that should happen, how soon would the Garda be able to respond? What hope have we of ensuring that such a robbery will never take place? A stitch in time saves nine. Given the amount of money that will be saved, this is a retrograde step particularly if one takes into account the amount of money that both this Government and each Government for the past 20 years have spent on security.

Minister of State at the Department of Justice (Mr. O'Dea)

I thank the Deputy for his kind remarks. No analogy however can be drawn between the matter he has raised and the robbery which occurred in Waterford.

I am delighted to have this opportunity here tonight to allay the fears which have been generated among residents of Enfield by the rumours and falsehoods which have been put about in relation to the Garda authorities' decision to introduce revised public opening hours at Enfield Garda station.

The people of Enfield have been given the impression by misleading reports circulating in their locality that they are about to witness a mass withdrawal of Garda from Enfield Garda station as part of some kind of cost-cutting exercise. There have even been suggestions that what is involved is the first step towards eventual closure of the station. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no question of Enfield Garda station being downgraded or closed. The station will continue to have its full complement of gardaí and the financial resources needed to provide a Garda service in Enfield will remain in place.

People are entitled to ask why then are the opening hours of Enfield station being revised? The plain fact of the matter is that the new arrangements are the result of an operational decision on the part of the Garda authorities to improve the Garda service to the people of Enfield by freeing gardaí from desk duty at the local station to get out and about among the community they serve and protect. Gardaí on outdoor duty in the Enfield area are in contact at all times with their local station and the district headquarters at Trim and they can be directed to respond immediately to any urgent call for their services.

Mr. Farrelly

Twelve miles away.

Mr. O'Dea

It is understandable that local people in Enfield should be concerned about changes in policing arrangements which have served their community well for a number of years. They can be assured tonight that the new arrangements have been carefully planned by the Garda authorities who are satisfied that the new revised opening hours will afford a much improved balance between indoor office services and outdoor operational duty. The Garda authorities are best placed to make decisions about policing in our communities and their assessment of the policing needs of Enfiled points to a very convincing case for getting local gardaí out from behind their station desks to undertake more productive outdoor duty in and among the community.

The Deputy has linked the revised public opening hours at Enfield station with the security considerations arising from the Irish Industrial Explosives factory which is located in the area. This is a diversion. Security at the factory will not be diminished by the change of opening hours——

Mr. Farrelly

I have not said it would.

Mr. O'Dea

——at Enfield station; if anything, the new arrangements will serve to enhance the already tight security which is in place there. Anyone who would put about any suggestion to the contrary is clearly not in possession of the facts and serves no purpose other than creating unnecessary anxiety among the local community in Enfield.