Less than one officer per 1,000 population as Bandon the only station to benefit.
CONCERN has been expressed that just one garda from the latest batch of recruits from Templemore will be assigned to West Cork.
In fact, the newly formed Cork County Division (which includes Cork West and Cork North) is to receive just five new gardaí out of an allocation of 154 new garda recruits, who passed out last week at the garda training college.
Bandon Garda Station will receive one new garda recruit, while two gardaí each will be station in Mallow and two in Midleton.
The Cork city division will receive 20 new recruits who will be stationed at Anglesea Street Garda Station, giving Cork a total of 25 new gardaí countywide.
According to the latest figures for gardaí in the Cork West Division there is less than one garda per 1,000 population - approximately 0.96 gardaí per 1,000 people.
Junior Heritage Minister Christopher O’Sullivan described it as very disappointing to hear that just one garda is to be assigned in West Cork.
‘I’ve raised this with the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan time and time again. Unfortunately, what seems to be happening is that a lot of new recruits are getting sucked up to the urban areas and this has to change,’ said Deputy O’Sullivan.
‘The gardaí in stations from Bantry to Clonakilty are already stretched. They do amazing community work but there are only so many of them and that needs to change. There needs to be a refocus on putting gardaí into rural areas.’
Meanwhile, there has been no movement on switching back on the CCTV community systems in three West Cork towns.
As exclusively revealed in The Southern Star, the CCTV cameras were switched off in Skibbereen, Clonakilty and Dunmanway in July in an apparent row between Cork County Council and An Garda Síochána about who controls the data.
Huge concern was expressed by business organisations in all three towns that incidents of crime or anti-social behaviour would not be captured on CCTV.
A spokesperson for Cork County Council told The Southern Star that the local authority is continuing to actively engage with An Garda Síochána on this matter.
In another blow to the wider issue of policing there is still no confirmed date for the commencement of the Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP) which are to replace the Joint Policing Committees (JPC) which last met in January 2024.
A council spokesperson said the regulations providing for the its establishment and operation of LCSP were brought into operation on June 30th by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.
‘Guidelines for the operation of LCSP and other information notes in relation to LCSP member appointment process was recently received by Cork County Council from the Local Government Management Services (LGMA).’
The spokesperson added that the council is clarifying some issues with the LGMA but cannot at this point in time confirm a date for the setting up of the Cork county LCSP.
A Department of Justice spokesperson said the LCPS represent a significant step towards a more ‘collaborative, responsive and locally driven model of public safety’ and will help enhance public safety.
