O’Brien pressure secures 10 Community Gardaí for Fingal

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• Local TD’s campaign leads to introduction of new Gardaí in Balbriggan & Swords -

Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has said while the allocation of 10 Community Gardaí to the North County this month should be welcomed, there is a very long way to go to provide the policing that the people of Fingal need and deserve. 


The Deputy was speaking yesterday during a special Dáil debate on the matter secured by Fianna Fáil’s team of Dublin TDs.


He said, “In the past 6 years there has been almost a 10% increase in the size of our local population, yet the Government have presided over significant decreases to essential resources in the area.


“In particular, I have been consistently campaigning for increases in Garda presence for the past 5 years since the number of Gardaí in our area have been cut by over 20%. 


“Swords has transformed in recent years into one of the busiest districts in the Capital and the area has lost over 10 full-time Gardaí, In that regard I appreciate that the Minister has acknowledged this pressure and allocated 5 community Gardaí to the area.


“The further 5 which will be stationed in Balbriggan will go some way towards restoring a Garda presence to police and protect the town.


"I must acknowledge however, that information received by Fianna Fáil strongly indicates that there has been a steady decline in the number of Gardaí stationed in Fingal and across Dublin which must be reversed. Donabate and Portane; a population of over 11,000 remains without any Garda presence. 


"Fine Gael has presided over a continuous erosion of the capacity of Gardaí in Dublin. All the while, the Minister's own constituency has experienced an increase - It is doubtful that this is some strange coincidence.


"The people of Fingal dealt with the full closure of Rush Garda Station, which remains closed despite any recent showboating to the contrary. The downgrading of Malahide and cuts across the board to Garda numbers have adversely impacted our area.


"Protecting the people of Dublin Fingal may not be a matter of priority to those in Government but I will continue to raise the importance of restoring a full Garda presence in the county. 


Communities across Dublin Fingal will suffer if this Government presides over any further hit to Garda resources and must be better protected by Gardaí adequately targeting crime prevention and rebuilding public confidence," concluded Deputy O'Brien.