Photograph: Steve Ford
SHANNON will not be getting fifteen extra Gardaí despite previous statements by two of Clare’s Government TDs.
Both Junior Minister Timmy Dooley (FF) and Deputy Cathal Crowe (FF) had previously announced that Garda resources in Shannon would be strengthened by the deployment of fifteen extra Gardaí to the town.
They had said the number of Gardaí in Shannon would rise as of September 1st and confirmed that the officers would be deployed directly from the Garda College Templemore upon passing out and they will to join the ranks in Shannon.
However, The Clare Echo has learned that this is not the case. Instead, sixteen new Gardaí will join the merged Clare/Tipperary Garda Division, of this figure a total of ten will be based in Tipperary while six new recruits are heading to Ennis.
As part of internal movement within the Division, there will be a net gain of six members to Shannon to bring policing numbers up to what is deemed to be an acceptable level. The movement of officers to Shannon will be from existing resources already in the Division.
Further movement in the Division will see one addition each to roads policing units in Ennis and Templemore.
The latest Garda personnel bulletin indicates that Clare’s side of the house will get a net gain of six officers but this figure drops to four due to two retirements.
Over the last two weeks, 38 people have left An Garda Síochána, 22 of which are retirements and 16 are resignations, the latest bulletin outlined.
When contacted by The Clare Echo to question his original figures, Junior Minister Dooley explained, “The information that I was originally given hasn’t followed through, what is now happening is six new recruits are coming to Ennis, with a redistribution of eight Gardaí to Shannon, I don’t believe it is enough and I will be continuing my efforts to increase numbers in the county, particularly Shannon which has been struggling with demands of the Airport”.
Dooley continued, “There is another passing out in November and I’d be hoping some more will come in that”. He said, “I’m continuing to work to meet the needs of the area, we have been under staffed for a while, it has really become apparent at the airport when we’ve had various events and incursions onto the airfield, when issues arise Gardaí are drafted from other parts of the county which is not acceptable, we have to get this right. We need more Gardaí, this is a start but it is not what was expected or what was indicated to me, I now have to continue to work with others to get more numbers delivered”.
Deputy Crowe told The Clare Echo he has received confirmation from “senior Garda management” that Shannon will get eight additional Gardaí from September 9th and he admitted these were not directly from Templemore as previously stated. “There is another Templemore class to attest between now and Christmas, I’ve spoken with senior Garda management and the Minister about getting more to the county in particular I’ve been focused on Shannon Airport, it is a State asset, a lot of An Garda Síochába in Shannon are tied up with policing, anyone who arrives in Shannon on a flight can see that Gardaí are tied up with passport control. For far too many years, it has given a distorted count on how many Garda personnel are based in Shannon”.
Meelick native Crowe has said he has also spoken with “the Minister’s team” in the Department of Justice “about the prospect of Sixmilebridge becoming a 24/7 station. At the moment it is a satellite station and far too often it isn’t open because Gardaí are required to police in Shannon, it is the third most populated area in the county, it merits its own station being open on a far more regular basis”.
When asked if the Clare TDs were losing the battle to their Tipperary counterparts considering Tipperary is receiving 10 of the 16 new Gardaí compared to Clare’s six, Deputy Crowe responded, “TDs routinely make the case for Garda resources to different towns and villages, in Clare we have all been arguing for a long time”.
He continued, “there has been an imbalance with a lot of resources on Tipp side more than Clare. I’ve been making the point that I think far too many of the senior positions of the rank of Superintendent are based in Tipperary, the fleet available in Tipperary is superior and there is a lot more rank and file members of An Garda Síochána in Tipperary, what we’re seeing is Ennis gaining more than the towns in Tipperary, Ennis is Munster’s largest town, a huge sized town which needs more Gardaí, some of the specialised units in the county are under-staffed so as numbers dwindle their ability to operate has been restricted”.
Clarity on the situation is needed, Donna McGettigan TD (SF) stated, “There has been ongoing confusion regarding the number of Gardaí due to be assigned to Shannon Garda Station. I have been contacted by a number of concerned residents who are seeking clarity on this issue. In response, I have written to the Minister for Justice to request a formal update. Shannon is in urgent need of increased Garda resources. The current level of staffing is under significant pressure, and additional personnel are vital to ensure public safety and support effective policing across our community”.
