Concerns over plans for Garda units to be on call in neighbouring districts due to shortages in force 'within a month'

Garda shortages could soon mean that four large parts of the greater Cork metropolitan area will be left with reduced numbers of gardaí working across neighbouring districts which had, until now, their own dedicated officers, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) has warned.

The GRA said that because of a lack of manpower, the garda units currently covering Douglas and Carrigaline are facing effective amalgamation, with one unit covering both areas, “within a month”.

The same arrangement is planned for Bishopstown and Ballincollig, with gardaí on duty in one area also covering the other, the association said.

Douglas, Carrigaline, Bishopstown and Ballincollig are all run from Togher Garda Station, the Cork City South community engagement headquarters.

Pádraig Harrington, the GRA delegate for Cork city, said reduced garda numbers would mean gardaí working in one area would also be on call should they be needed in a neighbouring area.

“Whereas now you have one unit working in Douglas and another unit working in Carrigaline, in future you’ll have one unit working in Douglas and they’ll be covering Carrigaline as well, and the following night one unit in Carrigaline might cover Douglas,” he said.

“So on one night, you’ll have one unit working in Douglas, and what we call a ‘ghost unit’, a unit without members, in Carrigaline, so the guards in Douglas are covering for that unit too.” 

Mr Harrington said the plan highlighted the lack of garda resources across the city.

“Obviously it’s informed by health and safety concerns, it not being safe to have one member on duty without back-up, but if anybody says it’s not going to affect the policing service, I would say that’s like somebody saying ‘We’re going to shut down a post office in your village but the service won’t be affected’,” he said.

“If 50% of the time there are no guards on duty in Carrigaline, or Douglas, or Ballincollig, or Bishopstown, the service has to be affected.” 

'SERIOUS DIMINUNATION'

Seamus McGrath, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central, said there had been repeated warnings about staffing in the Togher district over many years.

“Unfortunately, this has largely been ignored by garda management in the city division and now we are faced with a crisis response resulting in a serious diminution of the Garda service.” 

He added that he had urgently sought a meeting with the assistant garda commissioner and had spoken with justice minister Jim O’Callaghan.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Sinn Féin TD for Cork South Central, said it was profoundly worrying news, not least because the garda stations in question were already “totally overstretched”.

“You’ll have one unit covering an area of probably over 40,000 people, you’ll lose a significant amount of local knowledge, but it will also mean that if there are two incidents in that huge area, there won’t be enough gardaí in the area to cover them,” he said.

Eoghan Fahy, Sinn Féin councillor for Carrigaline, said the news was “catastrophic” for the area.

A garda spokesperson said the priority was to have local gardaí on patrol in their local communities, adding that the public counter opening hours of garda sub stations was not equivalent to the availability of gardaí patrolling in the community.

“Outside of these opening hours, members of An Garda Síochána continue to operate from these garda stations, are on patrol in their local communities, are involved in community engagement and investigations and available to respond to assist the public,” they said.

“In emergency situations such as crime in progress, or urgent Garda assistance is required, members of the public should always contact 999/112.”