Sinn Féin Councillor Conor D. McGuinness has called for ‘immediate action’ and demandedgovernment address the recruitment crisis in An Garda Síochána.
Gardaí numbers have plummeted throughout Fine Gael’s time in charge of the Department of justice over more than a decade, despite growing populations and demand.
Speaking in Dungarvan, McGuinness said:
“A report published in the Irish Independent presents in stark terms the recruitment and retention crisis in An Garda Síochána.
“One in four stations has seen a drop in staff, while 42 stations have no Garda permanently assigned to them.
“Waterford is not unaffected by these decreases, and this situation is exacerbated locally by force restructuring and by the fact that we no longer have a Joint Policing Committee.
“The truth is Fine Gael has overseen a significant depletion in Garda numbers over their decade in power.
“When it comes to Garda recruitment, we have another case of this government setting big targets but falling way short on delivery. We can’t just accept more of the same from this coalition – we need change and we need to see immediate action to address the recruitment and retention crisis affecting An Garda Síochána.
“There are simply not enough Gardaí to adequately police some areas, despite the very best efforts of those already working on the frontline.
“This creates real worry for people that their communities – both rural and urban – are not protected from crime.”
Cllr. Conor D. McGuinness 