Laois call for dedicated train police unit on Portlaoise to Dublin trains

Ongoing criminal behaviour on Laois to Dublin trains is just is further evidence that a dedicate garda unit is needed on trains and buses in Ireland.

So insists Laois Offaly Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley who raised the issue in the Dáil recently. He says his party's policy would benefit commuters in his constituency and elsewhere.

Laois Offaly Gardaí police trains through the county and have prosecuted people breaking the law. However, Dep Stanley believes a new model is needed.

"The Portlaoise and Ballybrophy line to Dublin has been identified as having recurring problems. The security guards do not have the powers to arrest. We need gardaí. We need special dedicated Garda units with powers of arrest on those lines to make our public transport safe,” he said.

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He insisted that safe public transport system is needed but pointed to a recent report found that 77% of women outside of Dublin felt it was unsafe to use the train to show that this is not the case at present.

Dep Stanley is one of many public representatives from many parties and constituencies who want a change which Government Ministers have not dismissed.

However the current Garda HQ view is understood to be that local community policing can meet the policing needs of the public transport network and that the Garda authorities do not propose to establish a specialist or dedicated transport policing.