The justice minister has defended the closure of rural garda stations in Donegal stating the aim is to have more gardai out on the streets rather than behind desks.
Minister Alan Shatter was responding in te Dáil to Deputy Pearse Doherty who raised the issue following a meeting of 200 hundred people in west Donegal concerned about crime in the area.
Deputy Doherty highlighted the recent incident in Kincasslagh – it is claimed it took the Gardaí over two hours to respond to an act of serious vandalism where a car was set alight.
Minister Alan Shatter said that was still under investigation adding that the government’s aim is to get the best use of the garda resources available:
Deputy Pearse Doherty rejected this stating the Minister does not understand rural Ireland:
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