SOME 139 GARDA stations have been closed in recent years.
In late December it emerged the government has spent €846,560 to date maintaining closed Garda stations throughout the country – an average of €7,000 per property per year.
Just over €2.5 million has been generated from the sale of closed Garda stations, and direct savings of €556,000 per year have been made through the closure of the stations under the Garda District and Station Rationalisation Programme.
Some 36 stations have been sold to date, with a number in the ‘sale agreed’ stage. Here’s a breakdown of how much each station has been bought for:
| Garda Station | Amount |
| Aclare (private treaty) | €40,000 |
| Ardagh (sale agreed) | |
| Baldwinstown (public auction 27 March 2014) | €75,000 |
| Ballacolla (sale agreed) | |
| Ballinakill (public auction 28 July 2015) | €92,000 |
| Ballinahowan (sale agreed) | |
| Ballinure (public auction 5 June 2014) | €100,000 |
| Ballyragget (public auction 28 July 2015) | €141,000 |
| Ballywilliam (public auction 28 July 2015) | €110,000 |
| Carrigaholt (private treaty) | €105,000 |
| Church Hill (Min an Lábain) (public auction 14 December 2015) | €62,000 |
| Cloone (public auction 27 March 2014) | €50,000 |
| Crossakiel (private treaty) | €6,000 |
| Doon (public auction 5 June 2014) | €50,000 |
| Dromod (public auction 14 December 2015) | €142,000 |
| Dundrum (public auction 5 June 2014) | €90,000 |
| Easkey (public auction 14 December 2015) | €65,000 |
| Finea (public auction 24 June 2014) | €56,000 |
| Geashill (public auction 28 July 2015) | €123,000 |
| Gleann Cholm Cille (public auction 14 December 2015) | €55,000 |
| Grangemockler (public auction 27 March 2014) | €103,000 |
| Inchigeela (public auction 27 March 2014) | €55,000 |
| Inistioge (public auction 28 July 2015) | €132,000 |
| Johnstown (public auction 28 July 2015) | €115,000 |
| Kilmessan (public auction 24 June 2014) | €200,000 |
| Kiltealy (public auction 28 July 2015) | €86,000 |
| Kiltyclogher (private treaty) | €58,000 |
| Labasheeda (sale agreed) | |
| Lahardane (private treaty) | €70,000 |
| Lauragh (sale agreed) | |
| Mallow Road (public auction 27 March 2014) | €260,000 |
| Meelin (private treaty) | €44,500 |
| Newtowncashel (public auction 27 March 2014) | €50,000 |
| Rathowen (private treaty) | €15,000 |
| Tournafolla (sale agreed) | |
| Tullyvin (public auction 24 June 2014) | €45,000 |
| Total | €2,595,500 |
Source: Office of Public Works
Last month, a Garda Inspectorate report criticised the lack of community gardaí, saying too many officers are sitting behind desks.
Changing Policing in Ireland found that around 1,500 extra gardaí could be put on the streets if the force made better use of officers.
Burglaries
Many people link the closure of Garda stations, particularly in rural areas, to a rise in crimes such as burglaries – with almost 2,000 extra burglary offences taking place in the first nine months of 2015.
Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) earlier this month show that 28,407 burglaries and related offences were committed in the first nine months of this year, a 6% increase on the 26,747 recorded during the same period in 2014.
Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has defended the closure programme, previously noting that it “supports the provision of a modern 21st century policing service for both urban and rural areas”.
“As a result of the programme, communities have benefited from increased Garda visibility and increased patrolling hours which has enabled An Garda Síochána to deliver an improved policing service to the public.”
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