Many people are afraid in their own homes. The closing of the rural barracks have left people in isolated areas sitting ducks for criminals.
There is no economic value in closing these stations. Prevention is better and cheaper than cure. The financial cost of crime far outweighs any savings made from closing the barracks. More Guards with local knowledge are needed in rural areas not less.
Many Barracks are large buildings, those that have not been sold could be reopened and part of the building could be leased to community groups or parishes etc to help cut the cost. In areas where they have been sold, other accommodation must be found to reinstate the local Garda