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THE ASSOCIATION OF Garda Sergeants and Inspectors only found out about the closure and amalgamation of garda stations at the same time as the media did, it was revealed today.
President of the association Willie Gleeson told Matt Cooper on Today FM this evening that his association is not negative on this issue, and “we have consistently looked for briefings and meetings with the Minister [for Justice] and [Garda] Commissioner, and with their management teams in relation to this issue”.
But he said that:
unfortunately it was yesterday afternoon, yesterday evening that we discovered the details of this at the same time it was released in the media.
Gleeson said that the station closures and district amalgamations are coming at a time when resources are already stretched, and when Garda numbers are reduced.
He also said that they have an inadequate garda fleet and that though they have been promised 170 vehicles, they are losing 1 vehicle per day due to them being decommissioned.
“We are taken aback at the scale of the station closure and district amalgamations,” he said.
Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter, announced the Annual Policing Plan for 2013 yesterday, saying it aimed to make the force more effective and efficient, as well as reducing its costs significantly.
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Can anybody talk sense to Shatter before he destroys An Garda Siochana
Be courteous to criminals! Let them finish their sentences…. Please let some common sense prevail in this country, criminals have all the rights where our Gardai are treated like shit. It’s the ordinary decent people who will suffer.
Typical of this power hungry government,they don’t even tell the Gardai,the very people who look out for its citizens,what’s going on!
We all need to stand as one against this government.
I will proudly stand alongside the Garda and all civil servants and hopefully inspector clueless dosn’t pit us all against each other.
Don’t try to protect them folks,these people are destroying our country and causing unrest.
Mike
The stations due to be closed are mostly open for parts of some days and consist of a Garda signing forms for members of the public or listening to complaints about wandering cattle!
These building for the most part are old RIC buildings that should have fallen down years ago with only the heavy paint used on the exteriors allowing then to stand. They serve no function in the fight against crime and individual officers will confirm that.
By the way Mike……………..have you ever visited stations like Crossakiel which isn’t too far away from where you live?
I understand Mark and see where your coming from but in a lot of cases just having a Garda presence is enough to put off illegal or antisocial behaviour.
Even the sight of a Garda car on the side of the road calms the traffic down.
I try to avoid visiting Garda stations lol.
I know the area alright.
He did the same to the army last year
Let’s hope he doesn’t get broken in to again, there might not be enough to respond if he keeps cutting them down. For a solicitor he has very little understanding of what they do every day. There are not enough on the streets, but the fact that he could not arrange a private meeting with the chief Garda commissionaire or even the common Curtsy of a phone call shows the lack of understanding. I won’t say lack of respect though.
Philip Kelly
I will. Total lack of respect to the Gardai , not to tell them what is going on ….
#Eileen- it’s people like you who are not paying all their taxes who are reducing the money in the Government coffers and contributing to cuts like these- so spare us the crocodile tears. You’ve a nerve commenting at all.
Tears are a waste of energy dolan, I learnt that a long time ago .
now do us all a favor anf go and duck back under your bridge.
Speaking of hypocrisy- I was reading today’s Sinn Fein’s vehement criticism of this decision. Bless them. It’s not so long ago that they were lobbying to get Garda murderers out under the Good Friday Agreement. Look at how they’ve grown. Mary Lou didn’t mention that, though. Can’t imagine why.
It’s about time the garda stand in protest alongside the Irish people rather than defending the criminals in Leinster house.
I agree the gardai are taking the hits just as we are since the recession..
Guards wives, parents & themselves have lost houses to banks, jobs etc..
I think people forget this when they decide to focus the abuse at them as if they were the reason Ireland is the way it is…
Don’t forget most guards may agree with why the people are protesting but they still must guard/protect where they are posted if not face the dole cue with nearly everyone else in the country/suspended ..
I won’t name groups/people but sadly a few seem to attend any march/protest just to cause trouble, which I feel ruins any impact the protest is making and which would make me walk away/distance myself..
It’s amazing how the crime rate always increases during a recession, so the obvious choice is to make the force smaller/less accessible…… Yeah that’s a great idea Ha!
I was outside Leinster House yesterday evening , and the Gardai were super. They were professional,and friendly, At one stage they were watching a group of ”young men” walk through the crowd , but we were all watching the same group of ”young men”. When we were leaving we wished the Gardai well and a safe evening ,as we all knew that there were ‘stragglers’ waiting to see if anything would kick off.The gardai have had their wages decimated just like the rest of us. Do not doubt that they will do their job tho. But do not underestimate the depth of austerity that they too are enduring.
I have to say the Garda at the protest march were helpful,courtious and high profile without hindering any of the marchers and protesters.
The Garda have sworn an oath and cannot strike or march but in fairness to them they support the princible of the march.
They are in as much trouble as the rest of us but if they run up debts or have a house reposessed then they can run into serious career trouble.
I may not always agree with the Garda but they have a nasty job that I wouldn’t fancy doing .
Todays Garda are not like the old school clique.
Vincent, your efforts to rile people just isn’t working.
Why do you insist on attacking people that don’t agree with you.
Now I respect your point of view so will you head up to your bedroom and when your giving your Daddy back his phone will you leave your blue shirt out for ironing.
This. Country. Has. No. Money.
Go. A. Way.
How in the name of Jases can it have money when it goes to prop up dead banks,handed to bondholders,paying the government the highest wages in the eu,paying pensions to the pri*ks that f***ed us over in the first place… Your flogging a well dead horse throwing up crap like that.
#Mike- I see. My point is incorrect is it? That’s great news. By all means point to the hoard of cash that you are aware of, but sadly our politicians have thus far singularly failed to find. Thank God you’re here. My Christmas will be so better now that I now the Irish Republic isn’t in debt to the tune of €180 billion. Only one condition- you’re solution cannot entail the immediate cessation of Troika funding. Lets hear it so.
Oh FFS Vincent will you just settle down and stop acting the troll and stop attacking people that don’t agree with you.
Build a bridge because your in a minority.
# Mike- there was a great article on Politico about how it was that Republicans in the US were so blindsided by Obama’s victory this year. All the polls pointed to it, yet they didn’t see it coming. The reason the author suggested was that Tea Party supporters and die hard Republicans only watched Fox, only listened to Right Wing media and only only engaged on Right Wing forums online. Consequently, they had subconsciously stopped exposing themselves to people who disagreed with them. They began to presume everyone thinks like them. My point is this- if you think I’m in the minority take a look at the Government benches in Dáil Éireann, look at some polls and stop regarding the community on here as representative of the wider Irish nation.
Because there’s no way a union would leak a budget measure in advance of a budget in an attempt to whip up public opposition in an effort to get the measure reversed before it even sees the light of day…..
what union?
Enjoy splitting hairs, do we?
Simple question Vincent, what union are you talking about, or do you know yourself?
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors is as close to a union as the Gardai are allowed. But ye knew that. And rather than address the point I made in a meaningful way ye opted to knit pick. Intellectual colossus’ ye are.
Nit pick
Actually Vincent, the Garda representative association is as close to a union as “gardai” are allowed. But I’m sure that’s what you meant wasn’t it?
yes i do!!
You’re comments and red thumbs say tell us all we need to know about you. Now troll on kind sir, be a good chap.
Ah, Gerard. Anyone who disagrees with you is a troll. How predictable. As for red thumbs….on this left wing commune I wear those as badges of honour. I’d be more worried if Sinn Fein’s finest agreed with me….
I take your point and respect your view Vincent but maybe we could agree to disagree and let a history that has yet to be written tell us the outcome.
You have your views and I have mine and with my personal hatred for this pathetic spineless shower of liars I totally respect your view.
I think there are to many Garda in Ireland there would be enough with half of what we have there like cockroaches there’s so many
Frank
There has to be law if there ain’t any law enforcement the country be on a worse state than it is already , your some tool,
I’ve got done for no tax 4 times in 2 months Matt there’s Garda every where I ended up haven to tax the car and u think we need more cops whose the tool now
Clearly not you frank…
Props on the tax evasion btw, major achievement.
Dave
I’ve got no idea what ur MSG meant what u on about
Maybe if they stopped letting there buddies off fines they might get more funding.
The intelligent remarks are really coming in tonight.
#Gerard- what, like your insightful critique above?
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