Harris hammered over reduction in Garda manpower across county

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris faced stinging criticism this week for the re-organisation of the An Garda Síochána in County Galway – and a reduction in Garda manpower in rural stations that left communities living in fear and isolated.

Commissioner Harris appealed to Galway County Councillors to allow time for the changes to the Galway Garda Division to ‘bed-in’ and he promised more resources would be diverted here in the next twelve months following a recruitment drive that aims to bring the Force to 15,000 members.

But the country’s highest ranking Garda faced a barrage of complaints from members of the County Galway Joint Policing Committee (JPC) angry that their local areas had been depleted of Garda resources.

Commissioner Harris said that since 2017, Galway Garda Division’s strength had grown by an additional 36 new Gardaí.

A further 33 Gardaí in Galway that had been desk-bound, were now freed-up for front-line duties due to a reorganisation of the Force.

But County Councillor James Charity (Ind) said 36 additional Gardaí in Galway represented just 1.1% of the 3,017 new Gardaí recruited nationally since 2017.

This level of extra resources was an “embarrassment to An Garda Síochána” and he urged the Commissioner to clarify why Galway was not allocated more Gardaí.

Cllr Charity fumed that nine Garda stations in County Galway were closed in 2012; and a further six stations, including in Loughgeorge and Corofin were under-resourced or operating part-time.

A huge reduction in Garda manpower in parts of Conamara was also highlighted by Councillor Daithí Ó Cualáin (FF).

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