The Government must immediately publish a major reform plan for the Garda Síochána, which has recommended greater centralisation and sharp cuts in station opening hours, the Fine Gael spokesman on justice, Mr Jim O'Keeffe, has declared.
"The people of Ireland are the ultimate consumers of Garda services. Why is Minister McDowell excluding the public from the consultation process? This was a publicly funded report. Surely the people are entitled to be involved in the discussions. What is the Minister afraid of?" Mr O'Keeffe said.
"This report has serious implications for every town and urban area in the country which has either a divisional or a district headquarters. It suggests that up to 40 will be downgraded with implications for lower staffing levels and shorter opening hours."
Warning the Minister for Justice that he must not "do a Pontius Pilate on the issue", Mr O'Keeffe said Mr McDowell could try to leave responsibility for implementation of the report's recommendations on the shoulders of the Garda Commissioner.
"The Minister has political responsibility, and it would be entirely unfair to expect the Garda Síochána to deal with the public flak, which will inevitably follow such decisions," he said.
The Government must offer clarity about the future of State spending and recruitment plans before there could be full and proper debate about the need for a reorganisation of the Garda Síochána, the TD for Cork South West told The Irish Times.
The Minister, in particular, must immediately "say out straight" if he will recruit 2,000 extra gardaí promised in the last general election campaign. "Any future reorganisation depends entirely on the answer to this question," said Mr O'Keeffe.
The Government had issued conflicting statements about the future of Garda stations. In Templemore the Minister had said that many old and outdated stations would be closed, while his Progressive Democrat colleague, Mr Tom Parlon, had denied that any closures would take place in his Laois-Offaly constituency.
"How can Minister Parlon say this unless he has seen the list? Or is he merely chancing his arm for local consumption?" Mr O'Keeffe asked. "This report raises serious issues which affect many communities, and the future of 12,000 men and women in the Garda Síochána."
Meanwhile, the leader of the Labour Party, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said the disclosure of the recommendations explained why the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, was so reluctant to respond to his Dáil question last week about station closures.
"It is clear from the report of the SMI group that, not only are inner-city Garda stations like Mountjoy and Fitzgibbon Street being targeted for closure, but a major downgrading of other stations is also in the pipeline," he said.
