I have received confirmed that a full review of Garda Stations in the Division of Tipperary is currently underway with a view to determining where cuts can be made. This review follows on from Minister Shatter’s directive to the Garda Commissioner to review the need for 703 stations across the country as part of a cost saving measure.

I put down a parliamentary question on this matter and asked the Minister to provide information on the likely impact of these cuts on Tipperary, the size of the cuts to be made and when we can expect to have a decision on such. The Minister has failed to respond to this question in any meaningful answer merely saying that the Policing Plan for 2013 has not yet been drawn up and therefore it is not possible to provide any details on where or when cuts will be made. However the Minister has confirmed to me that he does expect that there will be on-going rationalisation of the Garda Station Network.

Following on from this I have spoken to senior Garda officials within the Division of Tipperary of An Garda Síochána and they have confirmed to me that they have been tasked with examining the stations across Tipperary with a view to determining where mergers or even closures can be imposed. They have given assurances that they will endeavour, where at all possible, to protect the community focus ethos of the force and will do all that they can to maintain the positive relationships that have developed between An Garda Síochána and rural communities. That said they cannot of yet give details as to which stations may be in danger.

Already we have seen the loss of two stations in Tipperary namely Ballinure and Ballingarry. While these stations had been out of use for some years it was still a considerable blow to the locality to receive confirmation that these stations will never be operational again. I do not want to see a situation whereby other communities in the constituency receive similar news, that they too will lose their station.

This review is particularly worrying given the increases that have been seen in burglary in rural areas over the last number of months. In the run up to Christmas of last year, and indeed since, rural areas in North Tipperary have seen an astronomical increase in the rates of break in’s and robberies. This increase in crime is understandably causing huge concern and anxiety, particularly for the elderly and vulnerable. By Minister Shatter cutting rural police services he is cutting people’s confidence and their feeling of safety in their own home.

We are now facing a crisis with regards to policing in this country. The Government seem to be missing the vital point on this matter. Policing is not a business being run for profit by the state, nor should it be treated as such. The reality is that Garda stations are a vital commodity not only for urban but for rural areas. At all times regard should be had for the negative impact these closures will have on the public, rather than to how many euros will be saved. People living in rural communities have an equal entitlement and claim to Garda Services as those living in towns or cities’s and have every right to feel safe and protected in their own area. In a crisis every citizen has an entitlement to protection and help from the state, if rural stations continue to be closed this may mean that a Garda will have to travel an additional 10, 15 or 20 miles to an accident or an emergency which across country roads can take a considerable length of time.

It must be stressed that our Gardaí are doing a stellar job in maintaining a very strong presence despite the repeated cuts to their numbers and cutbacks to their funding. These Gardaí deserve support and help from the Government rather than further cutbacks.

I have called on the Government to ensure that the remaining backlog of applications for medical cards are processed as a matter of urgency. While some strides have been made in tackling this backlog since January, there are still in excess of 5,000 applications awaiting consideration.

Further to a parliamentary question that I laid down last week, it has been confirmed to me by Minister of State at the Department of Health, Roisin Shortall T.D, that the medical card backlog now stands at 5,400 applications. While this is figure is a considerable improvement from the number of applications that were outstanding last year the Government still needs to maintain the momentum and ensure that these cases are examined and processed as a matter of urgency.

Behind this figure there are a large number of individuals and families in desperate need of their medical card. We are talking about people who may be battling a serious illness and who are under severe financial pressure. The delay in processing medical cards adds further strain at a hugely difficult time.

When medical cards were centralised I queried the logic of such with the Government and petitioned against the loss of the huge knowledge with regards to the application procedure as a result of stopping local offices processing these applications. The reality is that the old system for processing medical cards was far superior, it was simpler, easier to access and much easier to find information on the status of an application. Additionally these local offices were aware of difficult circumstances for applicants and would do all in their power to assist in these applications and ensure that applications were advanced as speedily as possible.

The centralisation of this service has caused problems, problems that as of yet have not been fully sorted out. It is now essential that the Government now ensure that the remainder of this backlog is sorted and that this office is adequately staffed with fully trained members and is fully resourced in examining these applications. Never again can we have a situation whereby distressed applicants are waiting in excess of 8 months for a decision on their medical cards.

I have serious concern regarding a recommendation currently before the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter T.D, which provides for the complete closure of the Equality Authority Office in Roscrea. Following on from a Governmental decision taken some months ago to reduce the number of state agencies it was decided that the Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority would be merged. As a result of this upcoming merger it has now been recommended that the Roscrea offices of the Equality Authority be closed to cut down on administrative costs. These recommendations are currently with Minister Shatter who will have the final decision on whether or not to implement the recommended cuts.

This further blow for Roscrea cannot be allowed to proceed.

This closure would be a devastating blow for the people of Roscrea and for the loyal and dedicated staff of the Equality Authority Office. We are talking of approximately 20 staff, many of whom have been in this unit since it was decentralised and have proven themselves to be capable, diligent and loyal. These staff would be facing chuge upheaval for the second time in a short number of years if this closure proceeds. The recommendation currently with the Minister has acknowledged the contribution made by staff and has stated that appropriate transition arrangements should be put in place for them. This is little consolation for someone who may have a family or ties to the Roscrea area and cannot simply up and move when their office relocates.

The last Government had proposed the expansion of this office which was a mark of the successes achieved there. This Government however has put a stop to its further growth and have now left a serious question mark hanging over the building and a cloud of doubt hanging over the staff.

It took a lot of difficult negotiation and sensitive political intervention to bring the Equality Authority to Roscrea as part of the decentralisation programme. Since this office established in Roscrea it has been hugely successful and beyond complaint. Yet despite this the staff of this unit will now suffer, as will the town of Roscrea itself. While the jobs are not necessary being lost, they are being lost from Tipperary and the closure of this office would no doubt have a negative impact on the local economy of the town by cutting out some of those who would have done business there. Roscrea is a town that has been particularly badly hit over the past year and this closure would be another attack.

The people of Roscrea are reeling from the decisions from the Government over the last year. Over a short period Roscrea has now suffered the loss of beds in the Dean Maxwell Community Nursing Unit, the closure of the Roscrea Courthouse and the relegation of the Sacred Heart School from the construction priority list, now looming large on the horizon is the loss of the Equality Authority office back to Dublin. The people of Roscrea and the surrounding areas must be wondering why the Fine Gael/Labour Government has shown such disregard and a little respect for the welfare and viability of the local community.

I am calling on the Government to clarify their position on whether the public will be asked to bear the cost of water meters. There have been numerous reports over the last few days that the public will be asked to bear the brunt of some of the costs of installing such meters. It is unclear as of yet as to whether homeowners will have to pay for the cost of the actual unit, the installation of that unit, or both, with conflicting reports in the media.

I believe that the confusion over this matter is causing considerable distress and upset and should be clarified as a matter or priority. We have seen various Government members make conflicting statements over the past number of days. Indeed my office has received numerous queries on this matter from concerned constituents who are anxious to know what they will be asked to pay. With metering due to begin late this year the public have a right to know what costs will be imposed on them as soon as is possible to allow them to put plans in place to deal with such.

The imposition of such a cost would be an additional burden that strained families simply cannot bear

To date we have no concrete details on how much these units would cost homeowners. There have been speculative figures thrown about over the weekend with estimates in the region of €300 per unit. The reality is that irrespective of what the final figure is any cost on the homeowner would be hugely damaging and a further burden on families. In meeting with constituents I have seen first-hand the severe financial pressure countless families are under. These families are struggling to cope and keep their heads above water at this difficult time, these families would be choked by paying for water meters. The fact that water charges are to be introduced is a further threat hanging over their heads and that is without taking into account the possibility of having to pay for the actual unit.

I believe that forcing these families to pay a considerable amount to install a meter that would subsequently result in them paying additional charges would be an insult and would show a complete disregard and lack of understanding for the difficult circumstances many people are in at present. Quite simply many people fear that paying for water will put them in an impossible financial position. The public are growing increasingly frustrated with these charges and costs. I believe that if the Government ask the public to pay for these meters then that may be the final straw.

I have serious concerns overs the comments recently made by Education Minister Ruairí Quinn at the INTO Congress last week. In his speech at this event the Minister stated that many in the education sector still do not fully appreciate the gravity of the economic situation we currently find ourselves in and warned that education will have to take its share of the cuts.

 To date the Ministers approach to small schools has been hugely and this this speech spells further bad news for our smaller schools.

Since this government has come to power we have seen the very viability of rural schools put under threat. The comments made by the Minister in the last week seem to indicate that further cuts may be coming down the line. While Minister Quinn has stated that he recognises that small schools are an important part of the social fabric of rural communities he is unwilling to take steps to protect this valuable service. He reiterated his stance that small schools will have to change and adapt and will be forced to operate with reduced resources.

It seems that the Minister is not willing to take any steps to protect our rural schools. It is little consolation from him to recognise the importance of small schools while at the same time imposing cuts that will force many to amalgamate and may even result in closures. Budget 2012 altered the staffing schedules for schools with less than 4 teachers, to devastating effect. Any further cuts or changes to staffing by the Minister will no doubt be hugely damaging to our rural schools.

The reality is that these schools serve small, rural and frequently very remote communities and hold a unique position in Irish society. In this constituency alone there are a huge number of schools with four or less teachers and over the years I have seen first-hand the excellent service they provide. In light of their unique and indeed difficult position these schools need support and not thinly veiled threats from the Minister. Any threat to these schools is an attack on the rural way of life. I would be vehemently opposed to any further cuts to rural schools and will continue to petition the Minister on this matter into the future.