125. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí currently assigned to stations in counties Kilkenny and Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12596/25]

Sentiment score: 0.20

I congratulate all Ministers on their new elevations and I wish them well in their posts. My question today specifically relates to the Kilkenny-Carlow constituency and the number of gardaí currently assigned to stations in both of these counties.

Sentiment score: 0.43

The recent drive for new entrant Garda numbers was hugely successful and very welcome. My appeal to the Minister is that when these filter down through the system, that as many as possible are filtered to rural towns and villages. We have 18 Garda stations in Kilkenny and eight in Carlow, operating at varying levels. One station in my own town of Graiguenamanagh, which is a substation of the Thomastown office that also covers Goresbridge, a couple of years ago had two sergeants and ten gardaí. At present, we have only one sergeant and four gardaí in that area. In the town of Goresbridge, which is just down the road from me, the Garda station opens for one hour, twice every eight days. We are talking about community policing and while I absolutely agree with the Minister with regard to getting recruitment up, we need visibility and people on the ground. I implore him to encourage as much filtration down the country as possible.

Sentiment score: 0.22

I welcome the news of 200 new entrants. We would be more than happy to accept those into Carlow and Kilkenny in one blow if the Minister wanted to use it as a pilot scheme. In all seriousness, I am encouraged by the recent recruitment campaign and that brings peace of mind, especially for our older and more vulnerable people in communities right across the constituency. They love seeing gardaí on the ground and that visibility on the beat. Whenever there is an event and gardaí are sourced, people feel safe. It is our duty to make sure we continue to support those Garda stations. Finally, a couple of Garda stations are currently not operational. If the Minister could have a look at that to ensure all 18 Garda stations in Kilkenny and the eight in Carlow have some sort of physical presence on a regular basis, it would be much appreciated by the local communities they represent on the ground.

Sentiment score: 0.52