Calls for clarity on plans to amalgamate garda units in Cork

Local representatives have called for clarity on plans to amalgamate garda units in the Cork metropolitan area, with the Garda Representative Association (GRA) saying the merger is set to go ahead on Monday, despite a claim by the minister for justice that the areas are to receive additional gardaí.

Last month The Echo reported that a lack of manpower meant garda units in Carrigaline and Douglas, and in Bishopstown and Ballincollig, were facing amalgamation.

Those plans were confirmed two weeks ago at the Carrigaline Garda Community Forum by Superintendent Finbarr O’Sullivan, who is in charge of Togher Garda Station, which runs the garda sub-stations at Douglas, Carrigaline, Bishopstown, and Ballincollig.

However, a spokesperson for justice minister Jim O’Callaghan told this newspaper on Thursday that Mr O’Callaghan had been told that Carrigaline would receive three additional gardaí, while Douglas would receive four additional officers, Bishopstown would get four, and Ballincollig one.

They added that Mr O’Callaghan had been briefed on amalgamation plans by senior gardaí during a visit to Cork last week.

“During his visit to Cork … the minister emphasised his priority to see increased garda visibility on Cork streets, so it is very welcome that additional gardaí are being deployed,” they said.

Additionally, Mr O’Callaghan was told there would be no change to opening hours of Carrigaline Garda Station or to those of Douglas Garda Station, while Ballincollig Garda Station would see an increase in opening hours.

A garda car would also be detailed each day to five locations, he was told.

Despite this claim by the minister’s office, Pádraig Harrington, the GRA delegate for the Cork city division, dismissed talk of additional gardaí.

“The announcement that there’s extra members being allocated to Carrigaline and Douglas, and Ballincollig and Bishopstown, is misleading, because it’s simply a reallocation of resources from within the Togher district to the outlying stations, so what one station will gain, Togher station itself will lose,” he said.

He added that while the GRA regretted the decision to merge garda units, it understood the necessity of it from a health and safety perspective.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Sinn Féin TD for Cork South Central, said clarity was needed.

“I would have a major concern that moving gardaí around could leave areas short-handed when gardaí are needed most,” he said.

“We need to know that there will be a garda unit working in Douglas and another unit at the same time in Carrigaline.”

Peter Horgan, Labour Party city councillor, said it seemed that despite talk of additional gardaí being deployed to Cork, the reallocation was “just a bookkeeping exercise”.

“We need Commissioner [Drew] Harris to come to Cork and tell us when we are getting the gardaí we need in the city,” he said.

A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said numbers attached to specific units change due to operational demands, the personal circumstances of officers, and other variables.

“This often includes the rearrangement or reassignment of garda resources, including transfers, both in and out of garda divisions, and allocations,” the spokesperson said.