TD for Dublin Mid-West, Mark Ward has slammed the failure of government to ensure adequate Garda numbers in Dublin. Teachta Ward’s comments come as figures show a 6% decrease of Gardaí in the DMR Western region since before the recruitment embargo in 2009.
Teachta West said, “Too many communities in Dublin Mid-West don’t feel safe and recent shocking incidents in Dublin have left people feeling concerned and anxious about how safe their area is. “It is vital that there are sufficient Garda numbers in the Dublin Western Region in order to protect communities and address these concerns.
“The recent attack on two members of the Guards in Ballyfermot was unacceptable. The two members are Guards from Ronanstown who were in Ballyfermot on overtime due to the shortage of Guards. “My colleague, Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Martin Kenny TD, has analysed the Garda figures between 2009 and 2022. These results are shocking and expose how Fine Gael’s lax attitude to policing is failing local communities.
“The Dublin region lost almost 18%, or 757 Gardaí since 2009. When you look at figures for the DMR Western region, which polices Dublin Mid-West, we lost 50 Gardaí since then. During this time, we have seen a huge growth in our population here.
“Rank and file Gardaí are doing their best and I want to commend their bravery and hard work in serving our community every day. But they are dangerously stretched and having to work overtime in other stations to cover basic policing requirements due to the shortage. Stations are working in a situation where they are having to rob Peter to pay Paul in terms of ensuring adequate policing levels.
“This is a situation created by the government who have had over 10 years in office to prioritise Gardaí. They have had 10 years to recruit, equip and resource Gardaí properly. They have had 10 years to work towards a community policing model that supports communities. “During the last recession, Garda recruitment was frozen for almost five years. When you consider almost 400 Gardaí retire annually, this meant we faced a huge reduction in strengths. “Simply put, they have failed repeatedly to meet the policing needs of our community. People in Dublin Mid-West deserve better.
