At the December meeting of Galway County Council the members agreed to call on the Government to reverse its decision to close rural Garda stations in the county.
Nine stations around the county are to close, and Cllr Sean Canney has warned this will have a serious impact on community policing in the county.
“The decision will not save any money and is a bureaucratic exercise done to hide the real issue which is the drop in the number of gardaí in the force,” Cllr Canney warned. “There has been a Government ban on recruitment since 2008 and a large number of gardaí have retired in the meantime.
“This decision to close the Garda stations is wrong. It is the wrong signal to be giving to criminals,” he added.
