Comments made by Minister for Justice Francis Fitzgerald are unacceptable after she has completely ruled out the reopening of rural Garda stations closed by Fine Gael and Labour over the last five years. The closure of rural Garda stations in Kildare, coupled with cutbacks to Garda resources, has coincided with a spike in rural crime in the county. This is something I’ve highlighted over the past 5 years on numerous occasions.
It’s astonishing to see the Justice Minister completely rule out any reopening of rural Garda stations closed by Fine Gael and Labour over the last five years. These station closures have had a significant negative impact on the operational capability of the Gardai. It has removed Gardai from many communities across Ireland and has made it easier for criminals to target homes and businesses in rural Ireland.
I support calls today from party colleague and finance spokesperson Michael McGrath that the Central Bank rules on mortgage lending, in place since February of last year, need to be reviewed to examine the impact they are having on the ability of young couples and individuals to purchase their first home. In particular, he is calling for the rules to be modified in order that an established track record of paying rent is taken as evidence of ability to service a mortgage.
