Cork garda boss plans to reverse amalgamation of city areas

The head of policing in the Cork city garda division has said he intends to undo the controversial amalgamation of local garda areas which was introduced last year.

The amalgamation of garda units across four large parts of the greater Cork metropolitan area into two, proved extremely unpopular with local communities.

The policy resulted in gardaí working across neighbouring districts which had, until then, their own dedicated officers, and saw the amalgamation of the Douglas and Carrigaline areas, with the same arrangement applying to Bishopstown and Ballincollig.

The four areas are all run from the garda station in Togher, which is the Cork city south community engagement headquarters.

Now, in his first interview since taking over as Cork city garda boss, Chief Superintendent Colm Noonan has said he favours reversing that amalgamation, which had been introduced by his predecessor Tom Myers.

He added while that any such move depended on garda resources, he had discussed the matter with Supt Gary McPollin, who was recently given responsibility for community engagement in the Cork city south garda area.

“Over the past year we looked at how to use our resources across the area, with the proper supervision,” he said.

“What we need to do is provide a visible policing response to those areas. I’ve asked the superintendent who’s based in Togher, to reassess that and to see can we do that better.

“I’ve asked him to put a focus back on getting visible gardaí back into places like Carrigaline, Douglas, Crosshaven, because people there deserve to be able to call to garda stations when they’re open, be able to see gardaí, to be able to have gardaí in their communities that know their communities,” he said.

“So, rather than a guard who’s attached to Douglas, responding to a crime in Carrigaline, I would prefer to have a Carrigaline-based garda to be available to respond to crimes.”

Pádraig Harrington, Cork city delegate with the Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents rank-and-file gardaí, said that despite the allocation last November of 36 garda graduates and 12 transfers to the city, resourcing remained a serious issue.

“Any plans for Carrigaline and Douglas, and Ballincollig and Bishopstown, and the reopening full-time of those garda stations, are solely dependent on resources,” he said.

Séamus McGrath, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central, said he had campaigned against the amalgamation of garda units, which he said had been a regressive move.

“I appreciate overall resources remain a challenge, but I will continue to press for units to be based locally and also for better opening hours in garda stations so members of the public can call to their local station,” he said.