Four of 206 new recruits allocated to county –but zero for Western division for a second time.

THE lack of new garda recruits being allocated to West Cork now reflects a ‘sustained pattern of neglect’, it’s been claimed.

Last week 206 new gardaí were assigned to divisions across the country – with Cork getting just four in total and West Cork getting none for the second time in a row.

Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins said that the latest garda allocation figures for Cork confirm a deeply troubling trend of disproportionate neglect regarding West Cork’s policing needs.

He described this continuing deficit as ‘far from an isolated oversight but part of a long established pattern of under resourcing that is now placing West Cork communities at risk’.

The Cork South-West TD noted that earlier this year he raised the alarm when West Cork received zero new gardaí from the February 2026 graduation class.

Bandon, Clonakilty, Bantry, and Macroom - the four principal stations serving the region - have received a combined total of just 48 probationer gardaí over an 11-year period.

Bantry received four, Macroom three, and both stations received no new recruits at all between 2022 and 2025.

A round of probationer allocations in mid-2025 yielded just one for West Cork – with the officer stationed in Bandon.

Deputy Collins said the fact that this trend has now continued into mid-2026 demonstrates a systemic failure to recognise the policing needs of communities in his constituency.

‘West Cork is once again left with nothing,’ he said. ‘We are not talking about a minor shortfall. We are talking about a region that has repeatedly been passed over while other divisions receive regular allocations. This can no longer be called accidental. It is in fact a pattern of neglect that is now impossible to deny.’

Deputy Collins said the consequences of this ongoing deficit are felt daily in towns and rural areas across West Cork, where communities face the same challenges as anywhere else including burglary, antisocial behaviour, drug related crime, road safety concerns, and the need for a visible garda presence.

‘When you repeatedly allocate zero gardaí to a region, you are sending a message,’ he said. ‘And the message being sent to West Cork is that we are not a priority.’

Pointing to the withdrawal of funding from West Cork Counselling (see also page 3), Deputy Collins said the region is being left behind across multiple areas of public service provision.

‘Whether it is policing or counselling, West Cork is consistently overlooked. We are expected to do more with less, year after year, and it is simply not sustainable,’ he said.

He called on the Justice Minister and the Garda Commissioner to review allocation policies and ensure that rural divisions like West Cork receive their fair share of new recruits.

Deputy Collins concluded: ‘West Cork communities pay their taxes, contribute to the State, and deserve the same level of protection and support as any other part of Ireland. This ongoing neglect, whether in policing or mental health provision is unacceptable. It must be addressed, and it must be addressed now.’