As you will know over the past number of years I have campaigned for more Garda resources in our area. This is against a backdrop of this Government closing Rush Garda station and downgrading Malahide, two decisions, which the Government told us would lead to more Gardai on the street. I and my colleagues actively campaigned against these decisions and said at the time that it would lead to less Gardai in our area. Unfortunately we have been proved right.
Garda numbers are significantly down. An average decrease of over 20%. Some of our Garda stations are down as much as 40%. There are instances where there are not enough Gardai to allow patrol cars to be sent out.
All Garda stations in our area are significantly down in numbers of the past 4 years. At every public meeting I go to, the issue of crime and lack of Garda resources is raised. From Balbriggan to Swords, from Skerries to Malahide, from Donabate and Portrane to Rolestown, from Rush and Lusk to Garristown, people are seriously concerned about crime and the fact that our Gardai are not being given the resources they need to do their jobs fully and to combat crime.
The fact is that we have lost over 150 Gardai in the past 5 years. I have copied below a statement which I issued last week along with the actual Garda numbers year on year since 2010. It is important that you know the facts.
At recent Community policing meetings that I attended in Balbriggan and Malahide, people asked me to get the facts of the situation and to continue to work on their behalf to ensure that our towns and villages are kept safe.
You can be assured that I will keep the issue to the top of my agenda and work as hard as I can to ensure that we in North County Dublin and our Gardai get the support and resources that we need from this Government.
Kind Regards,
Darragh
Senator Darragh O'Brien
Seanad Leader & Dublin Spokesperson FiannaFáil
Dublin Fingal General Election Candidate
Seanad Éireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Ph: 01 6183802
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North Dublin loses 152 gardaí over 5 years – O’Brien
▪Slash and burn of local garda resources evidenced in new figures
The North Dublin Metropolitan Region has lost nearly a fifth of its gardaí since this Government came into power, according to new figures received by FiannaFáil.
The shocking figures reveal the extent of the slash and burn of local garda resources in Dublin over the past 5 years.
There is now a total of 673 gardaí working in the North Dublin Garda Region, which covers Balbriggan, Garristown, Lusk, Rush, Skerries, Malahide, Swords, Howth, Coolock, Clontarf, Raheny, Ballymun, Santry and Dublin Airport garda stations. That compares to a total of 825 gardaí in the same area 5 years ago.
North Dublin Senator Darragh O’Brien has said it’s clear evidence of the dramatic cuts to garda resources in Dublin over the past 5 years, while crime in the community has increased.
“This is a damning indictment of this Government’s lack of commitment to community policing. Not only did Fine Gael shut down Rush Garda Station, downgrade Malahide Garda Station and cut resources across our other local stations, they have also cut garda numbers to dangerously low levels. And communities across north Dublin are suffering the consequences,” said Senator O’Brien.
“There is absolutely no doubt that the surge in burglaries, thefts, anti-social behaviour and drug related crime in our communities is directly linked to the slash and burn of local garda resources. Despite going above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis, the bottom line is that the gardaí are stretched beyond their limit and they simply do not have the manpower to maintain a strong presence on our streets and engage in robust crime prevention measures.
“When you take into consideration the numbers of gardaí that are out sick or on leave at any given time, and the numbers of local gardaí that are eligible for retirement, the crisis in our local garda force is clear. Garda numbers have been cut year on year since 2011 and the entire concept of frontline community policing has been undermined.
“We simply cannot tolerate a situation where people feel vulnerable in their homes and the gardaí are not being supported in improving community safety. I am calling on the Government TDs in north Dublin who stood over these cuts to look now at the real impact on the ground and to ensure that we see an immediate boost in local garda numbers.”
The figures were released by the Department of Justice to FiannaFáil through Parliamentary Question. See below table.
2010 / 825
2011 / 796
2012 / 763
2013 / 733
2014 / 705
2015 / 673
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