Lord Mayor thanks outgoing Garda Commissioner  for extra Cork gardaí

The Lord Mayor of Cork has thanked outgoing Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for keeping a promise to allocate extra gardaí to the city.

At last week’s attestation ceremony at the Garda Training College, Cork was allocated 25 gardaí, 20 of whom are going to the city and five to the county.

Seven of the new graduates coming to the city are to be assigned to Anglesea St, five to Gurranabraher, and four each to Mayfield and Togher.

In the county, two graduates are going to Midleton, two to Mallow, and one to Bandon.

There had been considerable disappointment on Leeside after the previous two graduations, in March and June of this year, when Cork city received three probationers each time, while the county also received three on both occasions.

Fianna Fáil councillor Fergal Dennehy, Lord Mayor of Cork, said he had met with Mr Harris prior to last Friday’s ceremony and had received assurances that Cork would benefit from a significant allocation of new gardaí from the next graduation.

“I am delighted that the commissioner kept his promise,” Mr Dennehy told The Echo. 

He added that he was honoured to have been invited by Mr Harris to attend last week’s passing-out ceremony.

Mr Dennehy said he had been delighted to meet and speak with a number of the new graduates, including those who will be taking up postings across Cork city.

“These young men and women are about to embark on a new journey in their lives, which in turn will provide our communities with support and safety,” he said.

“There is a poignant plaque in the foyer of the Garda College, as there is outside of our Garda Station in Anglesea St, remembering those brave members of the force who lost their lives while serving our country,” he said.

“This is a very sobering reminder of the challenges that members of the force have always faced, but even more so today”.

Mr Dennehy said he had also met with the incoming Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly, conveying his strong desire that the November graduation would see a similar number allocated to Cork.

“This is a good start today, but I believe everybody acknowledges that we need more visibility of gardaí on our streets,” he said.

“The only way to achieve that is through the continued allocation of additional resources.

“This allocation of 20 gardaí to our city is of course very welcome. But as a city, growing at a rapid rate, Cork must continue to see reinforcements in the months and years ahead so that we have an adequate amount of gardaí on our streets and in our communities.”