'A kick in the teeth': Just one new Garda allocated to Donegal
Councillor Gerry McMonagle, the Chair of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee, has called on the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, to consider his position
The posting of just ONE of the 87 new Gardai who graduated on Friday to Donegal has been branded as 'a kick in the teeth'.
Councillor Gerry McMonagle, who is the chairperson of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee, says that Garda Commissioner Drew Harris should now consider his position.
Commissioner Harris has come under fire this week with rank and file Gardai set to vote on a motion of no confidence in the country's top Garda.
A total of 87 Gardai were attested as sworn members of An Garda Síochána at the Garda College in Templemore.
Only one of these has been allocated to Donegal with that Garda posted to Buncrana Garda Station.
Of the others, 62 new members will be based in Dublin.
Eight of the new Gardai will be based in the North Western Region, with six of those allocated to County Louth, which comes under the North Western figures.
“I am very disappointed with this single posting to the county,” Councillor McMonagle told Donegal Live.
“I have no doubt that it will feel like a kick in the teeth to the local Gardai, who have been calling for extra resources and Gardai for years.
“Donegal is, once again, the forgotten County. I think its time for this Commissioner to consider his position because he clearly dosent understand rural Ireland and its policing needs.”
Since the start of the year, the number of Gardai working in Donegal has fallen by 0.7 per cent, figures released this week sow.
At the end of June, there were 436 Gardai working in Garda stations in Donegal, a fall from 439 last December.
An Garda Síochána say that a further 289 Garda recruits, two intakes, are currently undergoing the training programme at the Garda College.
The next intake of 175 Garda recruits from the 2022 recruitment campaign are scheduled to enter the Garda College next week.
Deputy Garda Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon said, "Policing and the needs of our communities have changed significantly over our long history and continue to change.
“An Garda Síochána is changing too, responding to the needs of a diverse society. But our tradition of community policing remains as important as ever.
“What this means is proactively policing with communities. This means upholding a victim centred community focused service, and respecting the human rights of all individuals regardless of circumstance.”