Call for clarity on Garda station opening hours

Garda authorities have been asked to provide defined opening hours for a North Galway station – one of many across the county no longer open on a daily basis.

Local councillor Andrew Reddington has asked Garda chiefs to provide regular opening times for Headford Garda Station. Those opening hours depend on Garda members’ availability and the nature of their roster.

Cllr Reddington has suggested that the Garda Station be open for two or three hours a week – but at times of which the public are aware.

“If we knew in Headford that it would be open for two particular hours on a Friday or Monday, then that would be a great help to the local community who, otherwise, have to go into Galway city or Tuam to have forms signed or other business that might require the services of a Garda,” the Fine Gael councillor added.

Almost 60% of Garda Stations nationally are now open for three hours or less from Monday to Friday with many closed completely at weekends.

The number of Garda Stations operating across the State has decreased by 20% since 2011.

Cllr Reddington raised the matter at a meeting of the County Galway Joint Policing Committee where he was told it was dependent on Garda resources – but he was also given a commitment that the opening hours in Headford would be looked at.

“I am glad that I was given a commitment that the opening hours in Headford would be given some consideration – but I fully appreciate that the Gardaí are under extreme pressure that that the authorities are experiencing budget constraints,” Cllr Reddington added.

The Tuam area councillor said that the reason he approached the Gardaí was because there were a lot of people ringing him looking to have forms signed and had to go to either Tuam or Galway to do so.

“I had to bring an elderly man, who doesn’t drive, into Tuam myself to sign a form for a passport when this service should be made available locally.

“I am not blaming individual members of the Gardaí as they are already stretched but it is the system in which there are no resources to open individual stations that I have an issue with,” Cllr Reddington added.