Kildare 'massively under-resourced' when it comes to policing, Dáil hears

Kildare is 'massively under-resourced' when it comes to policing, and has the second lowest garda ratio number in the country, a Kildare North TD told the Dáil this week.

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil (FF) was addressing the Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, during 'Policing and Community Safety: Statements' in the Dáil on March 4 2025.

Deputy Ó Cearúil paid credit to Kildare gardai, and particularly to community gardai, such as Garda Aidan McGuane.

He said we are fortunate to have “an excellent police force” throughout the country, but specifically in Kildare.

Deputy Ó Cearúil said: “We are, however, massively under-resourced in Kildare. We have the second lowest garda ratio number in the country. Four towns in Kildare North - Maynooth, Celbridge, Clane and Kilcock - have part-time stations.

“The approach the Leixlip district has taken is a hub and spoke approach. Maynooth, my hometown, for example, has a population of 17,000 people. Add on to that 14,000 students and you have a population of 31,000 in the town of Maynooth without a full-time Garda station.

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“If you were to look anywhere else in the country, you would be hard pressed to find a town of that size without a full-time Garda station. The recent regional spatial and economic strategy, RSES, allocated an additional population of 10,000 people to Maynooth. Will we be at a stage where we have a town of 41,000 people without a full-time Garda station?”

Deputy Ó Cearúil pointed out that with Celbridge having a population of 21,000 people, “what I am looking at with Maynooth and Celbridge, in particular, is a Garda station locally that is open only two hours per day.”

The Fianna Fáil Deputy said that in towns so big and with growing populations – not only in Kildare but also in Wicklow and Meath – there was a great need for them to be resourced properly.

The Deputy asked that when the Minister is looking at resourcing and the allocation of new gardaí, that he look “favourably” on a full-time Garda station for Maynooth and Celbridge, and “further down the line”, for Clane and Kilcock.

Speaking of local policing issues, he added: “I also bring to the Minister's attention numerous incidents that have been happening on the main street of Celbridge. The Garda is aware of this. I had four business people and people in the community in to my constituency office yesterday who are basically scared of what is happening in the town centre.

“Young women are afraid to walk down the town centre. The business people are claiming they are losing business because of what is happening. There is a lack of footfall in the town centre because of what is happening.”

He concluded: “Perhaps the Minister would speak to the superintendent in the district about this particular issue in Celbridge and, as I said, look favourably on a full-time Garda station for both Maynooth and Celbridge.”