Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has said that increased Garda numbers for Carrigaline, and the suburbs of Cork, needed to be an urgent priority for the new Government and the new Minister.
He was speaking after identifying that Carrigaline was streets behind most large towns across the state, and indeed several much smaller towns as well, when it came to Garda Numbers
“The stats show that there are only 23 Gardaí serving the over 15,000 people of Carrigaline. That includes many committed Gardaí of all ranks, and community Gardaí and I know that they endeavour to respond to incidents as soon as possible.”
“However, of all the large towns in the state, that is over 10,000 people, only 3 towns fare worse in terms of Garda numbers, that is Skerries in Dublin, and Maynooth and Celbridge in Kildare, which are themselves only 6km from each other in any event.”
“So Carrigaline has the fourth lowest number of Gardaí in any town with a population of over 10,000 in Ireland. This is not good enough.
“It makes sense that the number of Gardaí should reflect the population of the town. Yet, when we look at towns of a similar size to Carrigaline, they have significantly more Garda resources.”
“I have raised with the Commissioner and the previous Minister for Justice my concerns that rapidly growing suburban areas, and Cork generally, are not well served by recent allocations of Gardaí.”
Evidence shows that visibility of Gardaí is crucial to tackle crime. We need resources to ensure crime that is happening is tackled head on, and to prevent crime, to ensure that we have a cohesive community. However, with the current ratios, there is only 1 Garda for every 685 people living in Carrigaline.
Carrigaline is a vibrant town, which is rapidly growing. The Community here has managed to preserve its unique identity and sense of self. That said, it desperately needs services and investment. It is clear that despite their best efforts locally, Gardaí are not getting the resources they deserve.
It is only fair that every community feels secure, and that their Gardaí have the appropriate resources to ensure the safety of the people of their town. Allocating additional Gardaí to Carrigaline is an essential measure in ensuring that the town can continue its growth as a dynamic, welcoming community.
I will be raising this with the new Minister for Justice as a matter of urgency and asking her to make it a priority.
留言