Just one new garda for Cork from latest training college graduates

JUST one of the 126 latest Garda training college graduates is to be stationed in Cork, it has been revealed.

The newly attested Gardaí bring to 237 the number completing their training this year, but only four from the two graduation classes in 2023 have been stationed in Cork.

The new recruit for Cork is to be stationed in Anglesea Street in the city centre, with none allocated anywhere else in Cork city or county.

Mayfield, Fermoy and Midleton each got one new recruit earlier this year.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, TD for Cork South Central said the figures were: “Deeply disappointing.”

“It’s been the case far too long now that Cork has not got an adequate share of the Gardaí from Templemore. Our senior ministers in Cork need to make some noise about it, as there are far too many stations under pressure, those in my own constituency such as Mahon, Carriagaline, Douglas and others right across Cork city and county.”

He said there is not anywhere near enough Gardaí patrolling and responding to incidents, and added that “the biggest disincentive to crime” is having a strong police force.

“There’s not an adequate recognition of the challenges that exist in Cork,” he said, adding: “In most of our communities people feel safe but there are issues that need to be addressed, there are rises in certain crimes.

“There’s only so much the chief superintendent can do if he’s not getting enough gardaí from Templemore and from the Department of Justice.”

Justice Minister Helen McEntee insisted back in August that Cork would get its “fair share” of new gardaí this month.

She heard repeated requests for a greater Garda presence in Cork from members of the Cork Development Forum at the Cork Chamber offices, and later from members of the Cork Business Association (CBA).

Explaining that they had been recovering from the Garda college being closed due to the pandemic, she said: “We’re now starting to see that steady flow of numbers coming through the college.

“We’ve had our first new recruits come out in July. I’ll be back again in October for an even larger number and I’ve no doubt that Cork as well as other counties will get their fair share,” she said at the time.

A breakdown of newly allocated Garda members shows that probationer allocation to training garda stations sees 89 go to Dublin, 18 go to other counties in the East region, 11 going to the Northwest and just eight going to the South.

According to the department: “Newly attested gardaí are allocated to specially designated training stations which have the required training and development structures and resources in place, including trained Garda tutors and access to a permanently appointed supervisory sergeant who is thoroughly familiar with their responsibilities under the training programme.”

A spokesperson for the gardaí told The Echo: “In general, An Garda Síochána’s ongoing policy is to not provide detailed comment on specific operational capacity in any geographic location as to do so would inform and potentially embolden criminal and/or disruptive elements.”

A representative from the Department of Justice said: “237 new gardaí have attested so far this year and 174 new trainees entered Templemore this week — the allocation of these gardaí is a matter for An Garda Síochána.

“One more class is due into Templemore in December, which means An Garda Síochána are on track to have between 700 and 800 new recruits in 2023.”