Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny has expressed concern that Garda personnel numbers in County Mayo are slipping.
“The only Garda District that has increased in numbers is Claremorris which may be attributed to the opening of the new Garda station. All other Garda Districts have decreased in their personnel numbers with the exception of Swinford District which remains at the same level as 2008,” said Deputy Kenny, who noted that while numbers did increase in 2010, they were still lower than 2008 figures.
“I am worried about this trend because of the obvious difficulties in securing Garda numbers for rural areas,” Deputy Kenny added. “While I welcome that Mayo now accommodates a Specialist Garda Unit in Claremorris leading to an increase in the Garda numbers there, I am worried at losses in other areas. Since 2008, the following reductions have taken place in the other Garda Districts: Ballina has lost six;. Belmullet, three; Castlebar, four; and Westport, three. Meanwhile, the Swinford District retains the same number of Garda personnel. On the other hand, there are no unfilled civilian vacancies within the Mayo Garda Division helping to ensure that gardaí are not caught up doing paperwork that may otherwise be carried out by civilian staff.
“People living in rural areas are genuinely afraid that they may lose the local garda in their locality and the decrease of Garda numbers in the county does not help the situation. The gardaí have a difficult enough job on their hands as it stands and these decreasing numbers are not likely to be helping the situation. The Justice Minister, Dermot Ahern, TD, has promised that new Garda recruits will be taken on in the near future but has not yet delivered on his promise. Now is his opportunity to do so as numbers fall and young people are starved of employment opportunities.”
Meanwile, Fine Gael Castlebar Town Councillor, Noreen Heston has called on the Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, TD, to ensure that trained Gardaí are not assigned to unnecessary administrative duties. Cllr Heston, who previously worked in a civilian capacity at the Metropolitan Police Service in the UK stated: “The Castlebar Garda Liaison Initiative is the way forward in building positive relationships between the local community and the Gardaí. It is very effective at combating anti-social behaviour but could be greatly enhanced if there were more Community Policing personnel and liaisons on the beat. Something as simple as having a mobile Garda unit visiting each residential area once a week would be greatly welcomed but the public service moratorium places great difficulties on achieving this. I believe there are various roles within the Garda Station which may be carried out by civilian staff if the Justice Minister makes the necessary changes to national legislation and this would result in additional Gardaí working in the local community.”
